Friend and Family
by Erdekais
Summary: Awaking after the fall of Grima to find that she holds no memories of her family beyond her father, Morgan quickly discovers that Robin's romantic relationships are in no way as they should be - and rather that they have been purposefully crafted to be to her complete and utter horror. A story of RobinxLucina fluff, and the extent to which it is hated by Morgan.
1. Chapter 1

Morgan squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself back toward sleep for a few moments longer. She knew she wasn't in her bed, the familiar cloak she still wore on her shoulders and the hard coldness that seeped through the fabric to her back informing her of that fact well enough, though even then she didn't care in the slightest for the shallow water lapping around her body.

 _Wait, water…?_ she silently questioned, her brow creasing on her falsely rested face before relaxing again. _Eh, whatever. It's actually kind of calming…_

After a few more minutes of lazing about in her unusual environment, someone found her. Morgan knew the dangers of doing nothing when an unknown entity approached her, having had ample experience already in dealing with risen, but nevertheless her exhaustion overwhelmed her better judgement. She simply felt so tired, and her head so sore, that she didn't care for anything more than an extension to her rest, hoping that doing so would ease her discomfort.

The person knelt at her side. Without opening her eyes, she could tell that they were examining her closely, though even then she didn't care for anything more than her continued sleep.

"Are you alive?" the person asked in a familiar, incredibly comforting voice.

"No…" Morgan groaned. She shifted over on her side away from them, startling them enough that they caused an uncomfortable ripple in the water.

The person shifted further toward her, placing an arm on her shoulder to shake her awake. "Look, just because Grima is dead doesn't mean you can rest wherever you like," he said. "The risen still need to be cleaned up, and even then you probably shouldn't be falling asleep in shrines - especially not in your poor excuse for cosplay."

"My cosplay is amazing…" Morgan muttered sleepily, completely glossing over his first statement. She rolled over further and flopped onto her stomach, submerging her face in the water lining the floor. It took her far longer than she would have thought to jerk up and cough for air, unintentionally forcing herself into wakefulness.

Blue lined every edge of Morgan's vision, composing the tiles of the floor, ceiling, and walls of the open room she found herself situated within, reflecting an unmistakable anomalous azure into the white of her own hair. Even the tiny pool of water she had fallen asleep in was radiating a soft blue hue. Swivelling her head around on her shoulders, she couldn't find signs of anyone other than the person who had been rude enough to make her shift around, and so she focused on them alone.

She blinked several times as she finally looked at them, failing to believe her own eyes. Everything about him, from the unmistakable white of his hair reflecting the same blue as her own from their surroundings, to the softness of his eyes, to the familiar cloak on his shoulders, revealed his identity before he had spoken.

"My name is Robin. I'm one of the Shepherds of Ylisse - their grandmaster, actually. Though, based on your getup, I'm assuming you already know that much…"

"Father!" Morgan leapt into him, wrapping her arms around his neck before he had time to react and consequently knocking him down into the water. "I-I can't believe… y-you're actually…"

"I'm sorry, what!?" Robin shouted, attempting and failing to pry her off of his person. "I-I'm your… you're my… what!?"

"I was so scared we wouldn't see each other again, father," Morgan said into his shoulder. "You told me to get here, and you said you would be right behind me, but I didn't believe you… b-but now, you're actually-" she cut herself off as her eyes widened in realisation, and she pushed away from him somewhat in order to get a better look at his face.

"Ah… of course," Morgan said, her voice now far more subdued. "You aren't my father, or at least not that one. You… you're the you of this time, aren't you? The one who doesn't know me?"

"Yeah, I'd say that part's pretty accurate," Robin grunted, attempting to force her off again and failing as much as the first time. "I don't have a daughter, though. That's not how this is supposed to have happened. I'm not-"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Morgan said, tightening her hold on him again. "I'm glad to see you again, father, even if you don't know who I am. It's only been… I don't know, about a day or two, as far as I can remember, but those were a scary two days. Are… are my friends here? What about mo- agh!"

She loosened her hold on him fully in order to cradle her own head, her mind screaming against the very notion of using the word 'mother'. Robin eased her off of him and sat properly next to her, holding her shoulder in one hand to support her in her evident moment of pain despite how weird he found the entire situation. He didn't dare speak until she had done so herself.

"I… I-I can't remember my… my mo- gah!" she began to say before her head screamed in opposition again.

Robin gently squeezed her shoulder to try to stop her from causing herself any more undue pain. "Look, lady, if you can't remember something and it hurts to try, you shouldn't bother trying to remember. I'm not exactly sure of what you're trying to go for right now, but I definitely didn't act like that when I first woke up, so you're kind of breaking character by doing it. If you're really trying to go for the angle of pretending to be the my fictional daughter from some weird future, then I'm pretty sure she would be smart enough to know when to stop."

"Nope, she'd definitely be stubborn enough to keep trying," Morgan said, clenching her hands harder around her head when she tried and failed again to remember. The pain disappeared when she stopped completely and turned her face toward Robin, concern and fear written clearly on her expression. "Wait, you don't believe me at all? I mean, I guess that makes sense, all things considered, but… come on! It's me, Morgan! Your lovable daughter and tactician extraordinaire! Do you really have no idea who I am?"

"I don't have a daughter. It's impossible," Robin said, shaking his head in disbelief but not outright denial as his words would suggest. "What is this? Is it a joke of some sort? Did Inigo or Vaike or someone put you up to this?"

Morgan's face lit up at the mention of her friend, as much for the fact that his presence meant she wasn't alone as for the fact that she could still remember him without issue. "You know Inigo!? Ask him about me, he'll tell you who I am! He knows all about me, we-" she stopped, wincing as her mind throbbed and gave her reason to rethink her assumption about remembering her friend.

"I do know Inigo. As does over half the world - everyone knows the Shepherds by now, and of the time travellers," Robin said. "That guy absolutely loves it, even though he still somehow got stage fright before every major battle… or at least pretended to. Wait… every single time he showed up late, it would be after going to taverns to 'relax' the night before… I swear to Naga if that dastard was late to battles because he was too busy sleeping around-!"

"Yep, that sounds like him," Morgan said after it became clear Robin was leaving his threat open ended. "Well, maybe not the succeeding part, but I assume he's gotten better at that over time… wait… how long has it been? You said that Grima is already dead?"

"Thanks to yours truly," Robin said, polishing his fingers on his chest. "Well, actually, Lucina did most of the work, but I was there to help her out and killsteal Grima. Chrom and some other people were there, too," he tried to laugh, but the sound was immediately strained. "Uh, that was a joke… don't tell anyone I said it. Especially not Sully or Kjelle. Please."

"Your secret's safe with me," Morgan laughed, her eyes then immediately misting over. She leaned in to hug Robin once again, ignoring how he continued to resist the action. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be here to help you, father. I… I'm glad you're okay, though. I was so scared when I left that we wouldn't see each other again, but now… I-I'm so happy…"

"Please let go of me," Robin asked weakly, entirely uncertain of how to pry her off of him. Thankfully, she listened to him, and allowed her arms to lower back to the low water surrounding where she was sitting.

"Um, father…" she began speaking again, failing to notice how Robin's face screwed up at her use of the title. "Where are we right now, and why am I so wet? Also, is m- er… is… your wife alright? C-Can you tell me something about her, so that I can try to remember her?"

"You realise that amnesia isn't hereditary, right? Simply because I have it doesn't mean that my daughter would, and neither would you?" Robin asked her, receiving only a blank stare in response. He sighed and rose from his watery seat. "You're in a place called the Ruins of Time in northeastern Ferox, and it seems like you've been rolling around in water for a while, for some reason. Apparently, there's some kind of artefact in here that would be of interest to the Shepherds, so here we are. Come on, we can get out of the ruins for now and I'll try to find you something to snack on before you go home."

"You have amnesia, too…?" Morgan asked, remaining on place on the ground. "Wait, I have amnesia? Amnesia that's… very specifically pointed against half of my parentage?"

"Apparently. You really should've gotten your story worked out before coming here," Robin said, extending a hand to help her out of the water in which she was seated.

Morgan took his hand in hers and used it to pull herself up. "Is anyone from my time here with you? I swear, they'll confirm who I am. I'm honestly surprised none of them told you already."

"I'm not about to reveal troop positions to some kind of… fanatic," Robin scoffed lightly. "Where do you live? Somewhere local, right? I'll have someone fly you home if you want, provided that you drop the act sometime soon."

"It's okay if you don't believe me quite yet," Morgan smiled easily, though the action was faintly strained. "I'll prove to you in time that I really am your daughter. Then, we can be a happy family again… all of us."

Robin stared at her for an incredibly long time before sighing. "Godsdamnit, you're an exceptional actress… fine. I'll take you to Ylisstol to see someone from the future, but if they don't know you, I'm sending you right back here - and I'll be confiscating your costume to make sure you aren't able to pull something like this again. Understood?"

Morgan beamed at him. "Got it! Trust me, as soon as they see me, they'll tell you all about who I am."

"I sincerely hope not," Robin said coldly. Morgan continued to smile brightly regardless, forcing herself to be completely unfazed by his words.

* * *

Sumia hummed to herself as she strapped all of the equipment she had been using for her mission back onto her pegasus, Cordelia doing the same with the addition of Naga's Tear a short distance from her. She only stopped when she caught sight of Robin, smiling to her friend before growing immensely confused.

"Um, hey, Robin… and female Robin?" she greeted him and Morgan, trying and mostly failing to keep her smile in place as she looked past them and further into the ruins. "Good gods, what kind of weird magical springs are in this place…?"

"Hey, Sumia. And hey, Cordelia," Robin greeted each of the riders in turn. He then held a hand out toward Morgan, who waved happily at both of them. "This is Morgan, who claims to be my daughter from the future."

"Oh?" Sumia asked simply, her eyebrows shooting up high on her forehead as she shared a quick, wide-eyed glance with Cordelia.

"Mhm," Robin followed up monotonously, somehow managing to make the sound as tense as though he had made an entire speech. "She also claims to have incredibly acute amnesia that's made her forget her mother, as convenient as that may be. I'd like to take her back to Ylisstol with us in order to verify her claims."

"Do you think that she may actually be…?" Cordelia started to ask before trailing off, not daring to finish her statement.

"I… I don't know," Robin answered genuinely. "I hope not, but… she seems oddly genuine. Either she's an amazing actress, or she's telling the truth."

"Ah, I… I see," Sumia said, glancing to Cordelia again with practically the same expression as before. "Well, uh… we have the Tear now, so… I suppose she can fly back with me?"

"Let's hope this ends well," Robin said tersely. He made his way toward Cordelia, where the two spoke in hushed whispers for a moment while occasionally gesturing back to Morgan, who herself paid their conversation little mind as she made her own way up to Sumia.

"I'm guessing you don't know who I am either, huh?" she asked the rider once she had made her approach.

"Sorry, but no," Sumia smiled innocently, then reached out hold Morgan's shoulder. "Robin's right about you being a cutie, though! I'm sure you'll get at least Inigo to believe your story."

Morgan found that proposal more unsettling than comforting. "Um… thanks? I won't need to trick anyone, though. I really am Robin's daughter from the future."

"...Right," Sumia agreed slowly. "Let's, uh… let's get you back to Ylisstol, then."

Morgan grinned at her, with far more certainty than Sumia's own uneasy smile. They both mounted Sumia's pegasus, and after a nod of confirmation from both Robin and Cordelia, all four departed for Ylisstol.

* * *

Severa leaned casually against one of the sturdy stone walls characteristic of buildings in Ylisse, examining the cobblestone streets and welcoming architecture of her surroundings with an absent mind as she waited for the return of the Shepherds' vanguard party. She was also waiting on the appearance of Lucina, although that was primarily due to the fact that Lucina insisted on showing up on time rather than half an hour early in anticipation of the few Shepherds' return.

Robin and Sumia had both been sent out to perform a preliminary examination of the Ruins of Time in order to formulate a plan to deal with any threats in the area, as well as possibly end their business there outright if possible - not to mention that her own mother was also part of the group, who Severa would insist she didn't care much for despite wanting to ensure that she had returned safely. She occasionally found herself chastising her own adherence to such actions, but accepted them in opposition to the more difficult responses she would have to otherwise give.

Every member of her time travelling group, Severa herself included, had long since come to terms with the fact that the people of this time they had come to know were not they families they had sought, but rather individuals who were to live out their own lives as they please. That being said, Severa still felt a responsibility to safeguard the doppelgangers of her parents, even if her friends had been much more capable of moving on.

Lucina arrived after many minutes too long for Severa's liking, though she had guaranteed arriving and had arrived precisely on time. She smiled to Severa briefly before joining her in the shade of the building she was leaning against.

"Took you long enough," Severa greeted her as warmly as she could.

"My apologies; I had many princessly matters to attend," Lucina said in turn, continuing to smile faintly at her friend's faux haughty demeanor.

"Even though you've officially renounced being a princess?" Severa asked with a smirk.

"Well, I needed some form of excuse to try to get you to stop caring, didn't I?" Lucina asked in turn. Severa's smirk faded as her gaze narrowed on Lucina, though she quickly allowed her skepticism to drop.

"Why didn't you go with Robin, anyway?" Severa asked after a few moments of easy silence. "Not to sound judgmental or anything, but you two have been pretty… inseparable as of late. Trouble in paradise?"

"No, I merely had matters I wished to attend here in Ylisstol, as I said," Lucina replied. "I trust that Robin won't die on a scouting mission - not from overconfidence, mind you, but from experience. Knowing him, he'll be more likely to formulate a plan that somehow saves the world again than even so much as be wounded."

Severa rolled her eyes as her friend spoke. "You two can be cute at times, but that's no excuse to constantly gush over each other. We're all supporting you as best we can, but any relationship can get sickeningly overbearing if you let it. Please don't be one of those people, Lucina."

"Duly noted," Lucina laughed rhythmically, a pleasant sound that Severa was happy had gone more common since their saving of the world. "I'm glad to have had your support for so long, and I hope that if I end up needing more, all of you will continue to provide aid for me."

"You know we will," Severa smiled to her, and she smiled in return, another action that had become prevalent as of late.

After a few more minutes of idle chatting with one another, a commotion sounded on the border of Ylisstol near Severa and Lucina. A few quick seconds later, two pegasi swept into view and landed in a small designated area the Shepherds consistently used as a returning point for their scouting operations.

Sumia and Morgan dismounted immediately, a complete silence hanging in the air between them, though not for lack of Morgan's eagerness to learn of the past - rather, the silence originated solely from Sumia's uncertainty and desire to avoid whatever questions were thrown in her direction. Robin dismounted as well, and once Cordelia swiftly noticed the presence of Severa and Lucina and kicked her pegasus in their direction, Robin followed behind her toward them. The same tense silence hung over the two of them as well.

"Hello Severa, Lucina," Cordelia greeted them both, nodding in their directions with a demonstrably false smile on her face.

"Hey, Cordelia," Severa greeted casually in turn. "I, uh… trust that everything went well today? No issues or injuries or anything?"

"It was… interesting," Robin answered her vaguely, stepping past her and Cordelia's mount in order to reach Lucina, who was in the process of doing the same.

"Everything we had predicted played out perfectly fine," Cordelia said. "However, there is a matter we would like for the two of you to verify the accuracy of. She's back there," Cordelia pointed over her shoulder, toward where Morgan had taken notice of her old friend.

Morgan's face lit up as much as when she had reunited with her father earlier in the day, and she quickly dashed over to her fellow time traveller. "Severa! It's been too long… er, probably for you, at least. You remember me, right?"

Severa's mouth fell open as her eyes widened considerably. "Holy shit!"

"I take it you recognise her, then?" Cordelia asked sternly from atop her mount, having yet to place herself on equal ground with the others present.

"I-In my defense, e-everyone really thought that she was dead," Severa offered weakly, struggling to not stammer through her entire answer.

"Hey!" Morgan piped up, pouting furiously at Severa.

Cordelia sighed and shook her head. "Look, Severa, I'm not your mother and I'm not about to chastise you for lying to us. As a friend, though… don't you really, really think that this is something you should have told all of us a long time ago? Some more so than others?" she gestured toward Robin with one hand.

"Listen… um…" Severa began as weakly as before, raising her hands to placate Cordelia's calm fury. "In hindsight, yeah, that'd've been an amazing idea. Foresight, though… that's in no way my strong suit."

Morgan laughed softly. "Ha, yeah, everyone usually left that up to Lucina and I. Before you can say anything else, Severa, I want you to know that I'm not mad about you guys lying about my existence, since hearing they had a daughter as amazing as me only to lose her in the next sentence would definitely devastate my parents."

"Ah, right, your uh… your parents," Severa rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Um, listen, Morgan… about them…"

"I'll definitely have to meet my m- er, ah… father's wife soon and learn all about her, since I've apparently got some acute amnesia about her right now," Morgan said, wearing a carefree smile on her face in spite of her lacking memories. "For now though, I'm just happy that I get to see you again, Severa - and is that Lucin- huh?" she froze in place, her eyes and mouth not moving in the slightest from when she had stopped in the middle of speaking.

Severa glanced over her shoulder at what had transfixed Morgan, barely catching Cordelia's raised eyebrows as she went. Her own eyes widened immensely as her glance revealed an incredibly deep kiss between Robin and Lucina, in which the latter had wrapped her arms around the former's neck and had pulled him into a very much reciprocated embrace, Robin having wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh, shit!" Severa cursed loudly and spun back to Morgan, the terror written plainly on her own face completely dwarfing the blankness of Morgan's entire expression. "Okay, Morgan, there's ah… there's something I really should tell you about, like… right now."

"Huh?" Morgan reiterated, this time with a little more force behind her exhalation, her gaze remaining locked solely on her friend and her father.

"Aw, you really can't stop them from being adorable," Cordelia cooed, part of her uncertain if she should be witnessing the moment they were sharing. After a few more seconds of uninterrupted kissing and failed attempts from Severa to gather Morgan's attention, she blinked and shied her gaze away from the couple. "Wow, okay, they ah… they're really going at it."

"Huh!?" Morgan said again, this time practically shouting the word.

Lucina broke off her kiss with Robin, leaning away from him without ever severing the cradle of their embrace, a pleasant smile and faint blush on her face. "Ah, my apologies… there was something you wished to tell me?"

"R-Right, um… there's ah, a woman here, who… who's made some pretty interesting claims," Robin stammered, reciprocating Lucina's blush and failing for a long while to overcome her sudden kiss.

Lucina looked past him and immediately locked eyes with Morgan, all of her bliss draining from her face to be replaced with a surprise that was neither entirely cold nor entirely warm. "Morgan?" she attempted to approach her, but every step she made was met with one in reverse from the amnesiac.

"Wh-What were you…!?" Morgan forced out, her aghast stare never wavering from the space between Robin and Lucina.

"This probably looks horrible to you, Morgan, but please allow me to explain," Lucina said, casting a glance back to Robin as if to verify that he still existed. Morgan didn't move or react to her words in the slightest, and so she continued, "Robin and I are in a relationship. A highly committed one, as a matter of fact; one that-"

She silenced herself prematurely when Morgan recoiled and covered her mouth with her hands, as though she were on the brink of vomiting. For a moment Lucina truly believed that her friend was merely acting, but the genuine disgust welling up in Morgan's eyes gave her ample reason to reconsider.

"What? What!?" Morgan shouted once she had finally collected herself to a small degree. "You… you… what the hell are you saying!?"

"Robin and I are in a relationship. A highly committed one, as a-"

"Shut up!" Morgan screamed. Her hands found their way to the sides of her head as she vainly struggled to hold back her growing disdain, disgust, and indignation.

Lucina tilted her head, genuinely confused by how Morgan could have such a violent response to having her request fulfilled. "Are you alright, Morgan? I realise that this may come as a shock, but…"

"But what!?" Morgan continued to shout. "How the hell could you possibly think that that'd ever be okay!? What's wrong with you!?"

"Morgan, please!" Robin interjected, raising his hands in an effort to calm the other tactician down. "I… I'll admit, your existence and identity have kind of thrown me here, but-"

"No! No buts!" Morgan yelled, now backing away fearfully from her closest friend and her father. "Don't you dare try to explain this away for her! I don't know what she's done to take you away from… whoever you rightfully loved, but I swear that I'll set things right! I… I'll find out who she took you away from, and make sure everything turns out as it should!"

"Morgan…" Lucina called to her weakly, her cool expression cracking slightly under the weight of her friend's accusations.

"Shut up!" Morgan yelled again, her voice threatening to crack from the intensity to which it had been raised. Her composure fractured more and her panic intensified as she took another step away from those gathered before her. She stared at Robin and Lucina, the two remaining within arm's reach of one another and revolting her by mere sight now, and her mind began to race at a pace she knew wouldn't be beneficial to anyone. She spun to face the direction opposite them, and without knowing where she was headed in the least, began sprinting through the streets of Ylisstol.

Cordelia cursed softly and kicked her pegasus into movement, turning it in the direction Morgan had departed. "I'll follow her from the air and make sure she doesn't do anything rash. I have a feeling you'll need to have a long talk with her and Lucina soon, Robin," she said, and with another practiced kick to her pegasus' sides she was airborne.

"I'm… not entirely sure about what happened here, and I'm even less certain of what to do now," Robin said.

"I'll explain everything I can to you, I promise," Lucina said, turning back to him. "I suppose it's long overdue by this point, anyway… and it's not exactly a topic I would be comfortable avoiding completely."

"So, she's actually…?" Robin asked and trailed off at once, not needing to finish his question for Lucina to know the answer he sought.

"The daughter of a different version of you, one from the time my friends and I fled," she answered resolutely, with enough confidence that Robin was left with no room to doubt her regardless of what he wanted to believe.

Robin shook his head in a small arc, his face going blank to hide the odd array of emotions welling up within him. Lucina winced at the shift in his demeanor, already resenting the fact that she hadn't been entirely forthcoming with the history of her time, and hating even more the incertitude she held about whether or not she should be moving to comfort him.

Severa clapped her hand on Lucina's shoulder, gathering her attention. "I'll try to find Inigo and send him after Morgan. Maybe he'll be able to help her along through this… he's probably philandering about in his usual taverns and restaurants, right?"

"Are you going to have him… 'philander' with Morgan?" Robin asked, breaking his blankness to form his question.

Lucina and Severa both shuddered at the notion. Severa shared a brief look of disgust with Lucina, then turned to Robin and shook her head decisively. "Gods, no."

She turned and, without so much as a goodbye, disappeared into the winding open streets of Ylisstol, on a path divergent of that Morgan had taken. Sumia remained as the only Shepherd aside from Robin and Lucina present, her eyebrows raised high as she whistled merrily in an attempt to act casual and draw attention away from herself.

Lucina watched where Severa had disappeared for a short time longer before turning back to Robin with a sigh, finding now that he was locked deeply in thought. She hesitated for a second longer before wrapping him in as warm of an embrace as she possibly could form.

"I'm sorry that I never told you about her, Robin," she said into the side of his neck, pressing her lips close to his skin and taking in the security their embrace offered, especially when compared to the resurgent fear for her future Morgan's arrival had induced.

Robin reciprocated the hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and burying his face in her hair by the side of her head, near her ear. For a long moment, he allowed himself to become enamored anew by the security their embrace offered, as well as the familiar feel of her arms around him, some kind of sweet perfume he would never be able to properly name, and the irreplaceable warmth she offered. In doing so, he was able to put his mind wholly at ease.

"I love you, Lucina," he whispered into her ear. He planted a long, loving kiss on the side of her neck, somehow relishing their embrace further than before.

Lucina shivered delightfully further into him, pressing her lips closer against his neck only to raise her head to speak. "Robin… I love you too," she whispered, then lowered her head again, calming herself in the warmth they shared.

* * *

 **I don't have a concrete schedule for when this story will be updated, but it hopefully won't be more than a few weeks between uploads. My current plan is to have ten, possibly eleven chapters, each at about the same length as this one, but I'm always down for writing more fluff whenever possible.**

 **Also, please feel free to tear this story apart. I think I've done a pretty good job with it, but I also know there'll always be errors or things that could've been done better, and I think I can improve best by having those things pointed out to me. I at least hope you've enjoyed the story anyway, though.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

The sun had long since begun to set over the world, its once-grand light now bathing the sprawling streets of Ylisstol in soft orange hues. Cordelia had always loved watching shadows drape over the city from high atop her pegasus. For now, she accepted the necessity of her landing, and so made for the cobbled streets far below.

She touched down to the poorly concealed amazement of many a passerby. None could reasonably expect a Shepherd to be landing on a random street next to an unimportant tavern, especially not one that had as of yet neglected to remove her impressive armour. Thankfully, none dared to approach and disturb her, with all who had so much as heard of the legendary pegasus knight commander knowing that any action she took would be of the utmost importance.

After under a minute of waiting on the side of the street without dismounting her pegasus, Inigo appeared from an alleyway a short distance from her. The time traveller waved innocently to her. Cordelia easily mimicked the gesture.

"Greetings, my beautiful scarlet rider!" Inigo smiled effortlessly, approaching her casually and patting her pegasus gently on its neck. The mount snorted in a manner he knew he could determine as either derision or happiness, should he be bothered to read into the mood of the beast.

"Not happening, Inigo," Cordelia responded as casually as him. "Why are you here? I'd assumed I would be waiting for Robin or Lucina… and I doubt you leaving red light districts is a natural occurrence, let alone to then come across me."

"There are party- er, red light districts in Ylisstol?" Inigo asked a little too enthusiastically, before then managing to conceal his excitement. "Er, aha… I mean… I was sent here. Severa said that Morgan had arrived in Ylisstol, told me to 'convince her to not kill Lucina', and mentioned something about amnesia making a poor situation worse. Also, I'll have you know that I spend the majority of my time in remarkably reputable locales."

"I'm sure that you do," Cordelia rolled her eyes in an obvious lie, her gaze then narrowing on Inigo. "Why did Severa send you, though? If she wants someone to speak to Morgan, then she should be looking for- ah. I see how it is," she said, her expression easing into one of borderline smugness. "You kept that well hidden, at least up until now. I suppose your tells weren't quite as obvious as someone like Gerome or Nah and Yarne, and you never called anyone mother or father, like Severa or Lucina… you were one of the few I hadn't yet managed to pin down. Well done."

"In all fairness, you did manage to get the Olivia half right within a few weeks of meeting me," Inigo reminded her. "There aren't a lot of people in the Shepherds who take to dancing so easily."

"Dancing isn't hereditary, though. That'd be like saying that Morgan could somehow inherit Robin's amne-… er, actually, that probably isn't the best example…" Cordelia said, the last part of her statement falling to little more than a murmur before picking up again. "If you were smart enough, you could easily have played off your dancing as something completely unrelated to your parentage. The fact that you became so flustered, and immediately leapt to denying that Olivia was your mother before I had even asked… that was pretty revealing."

Inigo sighed and sagged his shoulders at the more than embarrassing memory before returning to his typical grin. "Yeah, don't remind me. I trust that you won't go telling the world about what once was?"

"Don't worry; if you don't want anyone to know, I won't say a thing," Cordelia reassured him with a soft smile that almost set his mind at ease. "The only reason I want to know is because I find these kinds of relationships interesting. Knowing what had happened in the future, how it's changed, about how people have come to find love in such an unexpected way… it's like something out of a romance novel, and I absolutely adore it."

Her expression grew less comfortable as her smile was replaced by a hard frown. "As of yet, Robin isn't aware of everything. Lucina's likely to speak with him, but Olivia… she may be in the dark for a long time. Shall I inform her?"

"I would honestly prefer if you didn't, at least for now," Inigo said calmly. "That should be left for Morgan and I… and possibly Lucina. The same goes for Robin."

"Mm. Suit yourself, then," Cordelia said. "People will inevitably be curious, much the same as me. I won't tell them about any of this, but I hope that you won't leave everyone willfully uninformed for too long."

Before Inigo could voice anything relevant to what she had said, Cordelia pointed a thumb over her shoulder toward the tavern she had previously been monitoring and said, "Your sister went in there. She's incredibly adamant about dismantling Robin and Lucina's relationship, her amnesia means she doesn't remember you or Olivia, and I believe she's trying to drink away her issues. Have fun trying to disarm that. For the sake of all of the adorable fluff that's come from Robin and Lucina's relationship, I do sincerely hope that you succeed."

Inigo's patented smile grew brighter in a false bravado that betrayed his actual nervousness. "Have I ever failed before?"

"There were times in Valm and Plegia where you spent so much time trying to do unspeakable things that you missed parts of battles. The only things that prevented you from walking away from Valm Castle and looking for an inn was the ire of your friends and the threat of a court-martial from Chrom."

"Aha… ha… yeah…" Inigo laughed weakly, trying and failing to downplay his past. "Trust me, I won't fail. This is far more important than any world-saving battle."

Cordelia raised an eyebrow on Inigo sharply, causing him to laugh awkwardly a little longer before coughing into his fist. He placed his carefree smile upon his face again and stepped past her, hoping to better avoid her glare.

"So, she's really in there, huh? Like, really actually in there?" he asked. "This isn't some cruel joke Severa's trying to pull on me, or some twisted play she's gotten your help with pulling off?"

"I'm shocked you would think me so cruel," Cordelia said calmly, her voice perfectly measured. Inigo couldn't help but fixate upon the fact that she hadn't directly answered his question. Her hidden smile would offer him little reassurance even if it was something he could see.

"Alright. Waiting around isn't going to get anything done," Inigo said, breathing deeply to calm the myriad of nerves he hadn't wished to go berserk. "I'll simply have to see for myself… and if she ends up killing me for not finding her, then hey, at least I won't have to see her freak out about Robin and Lucina."

"Good luck, Inigo," Cordelia waved to his back as he stepped toward the tavern. She waited until he had entered the premises of the building, growing almost aggravated when he stopped before the doors to take another deep breath and psych himself up further, and she then finally permitted herself to take to the skies once more. There was no reason she couldn't take some time to view the sunset before reporting back to Robin and Lucina.

The tavern's interior boasted an atmosphere completely unique from that outside, with the scent of alcohol pervading every modicum of the building and sticking heartily to its rowdy inhabitants. The dichotomy to the outer world only greatened with every successive step, a group of laughing, boisterous men almost crashed into Inigo as he maneuvered through a small sea of people and tables in search of Morgan, though he easily danced out of their way before any collisions. Every patron of the tavern appeared to have already been long since intoxicated, despite evening having only recently begun. Inigo was genuinely surprised that he had never so much as heard of this tavern before.

A young woman was seated alone at a large booth situated at the far wall of the tavern. Inigo spied her and, more significantly, the signature cloak that lined her shoulders. The unmistakably stylised hood pulled up over her head, which had in turn been set facedown atop the table next to an upturned tankard of ale, exposed her identity far more than actually seeing her face.

Inigo approached her private booth and took a seat opposite her, bringing his arms atop the table in order to better lean toward the woman. "Morgan? Is… is it you? Do you remember me?"

Morgan snapped her head up at the sound of Inigo's voice, only for her gaze to flatten and for her head to lower back to the table. "Doesn't this day keep getting better and better," she grumbled. "Hey, Inigo. Yeah… I remember you. If you aren't here to help me, then go away."

Inigo did nothing for a long moment, merely staring at her in perfectly masked utter disbelief, his expression having been honed over years of heroic and unheroic escapades alike. He broke into a faint yet warm smile after many more seconds of silence.

"That's cold, Morgan. Colder than I could've expected from you," he said calmly, his voice holding no scorn naturally and no overbearing joy by design.

"I'm so sorry that I'm not as peppy as you want me to be, jerk," Morgan said. Though Inigo couldn't see her face, he knew her to be at best pouting, if not something far worse. A frown or grimace was almost unheard of, but certainly possible.

"Mm. You're really not taking Robin and Lucina being… erm, 'Robin and Lucina' very well, are you?" Inigo asked.

Morgan raised her head from the table to sneer at him, and this time Inigo could determine that she had recently cried. The very sight weakened his resolve. "What do you think? No, seriously, what on earth could you possibly think that would ever justify that… that travesty they call a relationship?"

"They seem happy. I think that counts more than anything else at this point," Inigo shrugged.

Morgan sneered at him once more before lowering her head back to the table. "I see you're as bountiful a supply of wisdom as ever. They're pretending they're happy, so all of a sudden that makes everything about their relationship okay? You're ignoring the technical age gap, the fact that Lucina knew him since she was a kid, that she's Chrom's - father's best friend's - daughter! That she stole him away from his rightful bride, from my family! How is any of that okay!?"

"After all of our time travelling, this Robin and our Lucina are actually the same age," Inigo responded calmly. The degree to which he was calm and collected had begun to irritate Morgan. "Robin doesn't remember his exact birthday, but we know that his and Lucina's are ridiculously close together. Seeing as he can't recall the exact date, and that neither of them are big on parties or anything of the sort, they actually started to celebrate on the same day. That's been happening for a few years now."

Inigo lowered his head in a brief chuckle, losing himself to memories he could only hope Morgan would one day share. "The first time they did that was adorable. Lucina had apparently brought it up out of nowhere, then started freaking out because she had no idea what kind of gift to get Robin, who was freaking out because he had no idea how to even celebrate a birthday. They seemed so nervous around each other the entire day, neither knowing what to do… heh. They're still kind of like that whenever it comes up. It's always so cute."

Morgan had contorted her face in barely withheld disgust, one of her eyes threatening to twitch in pure revulsion. She opened her mouth to voice her distaste and counter Inigo, but before she could say anything, he had begun to speak again.

"They are happy together, you know. I haven't seen either smile as much as when they're with the other," he said. "Yes, Lucina did know a man by the name of Robin who was much her elder, but the Robin you saw today was no more your father than myself, or anyone in this tavern, or anyone on this entire planet. They share a face and name, but that's where the resemblance ends. We may have travelled through time, but we don't have the means of restoring the fallen, Morgan. Also, if anyone is to understand that position of yours on rightful family, it's me. Allow me to tell you that things as they stand now are greater than any of us could've possibly hoped."

Morgan groaned deeply, raising her head from the table in order to sink far into her seat. "Why are you here, Inigo? If it's to make this day worse I don't think you'll be able to damage anything more than what's already been done. Do me a favour and go away."

"You, ah… you really don't remember me, do you?" Inigo asked, his smile weakening. "Actually, maybe you do, and that's why you're being so… prickly. I really do want to help you, Morgan, but I'm not going to abandon Robin or Lucina. They're my friends."

Morgan glared at Inigo through half-lidded eyes, her expression only worsening with time. "If you want to help, then tell me who Robin should be with and how I can get Lucina away from him. Also, don't dare to preach to me about family or happiness. You're supporting this… this perversion as much as anyone else, and as far as I can tell you haven't gone through anything remotely similar to what I am now."

"Wow, I was seriously right on the money before - you have no real memory of who I am," Inigo said. "Morgan, I… I'm your brother. Robin's son."

"You… you…" Morgan stammered. "You're… what?"

"Your brother."

"You're… my brother. As in the son of Robin."

"Yes."

"You're certain of this?"

Inigo's face flashed through a variety of expressions before he nodded incredulously. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Morgan blinked several times, then narrowed her gaze anew. "Go to hell, Inigo. Seriously, if you think that you can trick me into believing something as utterly stupid as that, then-"

"I'm telling the truth, Morgan!" Inigo cried, this time with conviction in his voice as his small emotional barricade withered away. "I'm your brother! The son of Olivia and Robin! Don't you remember anything about me at all?"

"I know you're a natural liar who'll do anything to further his own sick goals," Morgan scoffed coldly. "Come off it, Inigo. Either help me or get out of my way - don't waste my time, and don't try to do… whatever this is you're doing."

"Morgan…" Inigo murmured, frowning at her insinuation. "Do you… do you really remember nothing at all? Learning to dance with mother, and having father try to teach us magic? How I could dance when you couldn't, and how you could use a tome when I would constantly fail? We used to spend so much time in father's study reading, and when he had to work, we would go hide from mother and Frederick in the gardens… we spent so long practicing basic magic and steps together, even if we don't have much to show for some of that now."

"I remember father teaching me magic, and you sure as hell weren't there," Morgan said. "If you think gaslighting me is somehow going to help Lucina, you're wrong. What she's done - what you're trying to support - is awful. You won't change my mind so easily."

"This is the truth, Morgan," Inigo said weakly, so much so that Morgan nearly began to pity him. "Please, there has to be something that you remember. We all spent so much time together… there's no way that was for nothing!"

"You know what, Inigo? I'm a rational person. Show me evidence that states I'm your sister and I'll believe you. It's as simple as that. If you can't do that, then please, leave me alone."

"My hair's white; yours is pink," Inigo said without missing a beat, gesturing to his head and then hers. "That matches Robin's and Olivia's. Is that good enough proof for you?"

Morgan blinked before angling her eyes upward and pulling a strand of her own hair into view. "...Huh. My hair's pink. How've I not noticed that?"

"Is that enough for you?" Inigo asked again hopefully, though the glare Morgan turned on him swiftly dampened his spirits. "Come on, Morgan… it's so surreal to finally see you again, and I don't want you to forget me. Even with everything that's happened, I want to be selfish enough to have some piece of my family again."

"Then go find one - without me, or my father," Morgan said coldly. "Genes are strange. This doesn't prove anything. There's no way I could remember who you are while conveniently forgetting that you're my brother. I'm almost afraid to ask what you're playing at here, so please, get lost."

"Morgan… don't do this…" Inigo pleaded weakly, though to what end even he was no longer certain. He brought a hand to the bridge of his nose for a long moment, and when he lowered it, his expression had shifted back toward one of determined confidence. "There has to be some way to make you believe me. Some way to make you remember. You can't have forgotten mother and I so easily."

Morgan continued to glare at him indignantly before she slowly began to soften her expression. "If you help me - and I mean actually, seriously help me - then I promise to do everything I can to try to remember you. I'm not making any promises, though."

"Good enough for me!" Inigo responded, his carefree smile in place again without a single inkling of hesitation. Morgan had already grown capable of seeing how weak the expression truly was, of how closely it was coming to fracturing. Inigo was rarely like this. She knew it could be an act, but some tiny part of her wanted to trust him all the same.

"I can certainly help you, even if it isn't exactly the help you want or think that you need," Inigo continued. Morgan's cautious skepticism and scorn returned in full. "At the very least, I can help you understand why things are the way they are. You may not like it, but I'm not willing to harm Robin and Lucina's relationship. All I can do is try to have you understand."

"Get on with it, then. What is there to understand that I haven't already seen or heard far too much about?"

Inigo rose from his seat and held his hand out to help Morgan do the same, though she merely stared blankly at him. "Come; it'll be best if I show you. They should be on one of their walks around now."

"What? Who are you showing me?" Morgan asked curiously, but not without a trace of doubt. "I swear, if you have no idea what you're doing and are trying to buy time, I'll-"

"I'm taking you to see mother. Er, Olivia. The person who was at one point in one timeline our mother," Inigo cut her off, his desire for a sense of mystery having been immediately thwarted. "I'll show you her… and the man she truly loves. Perhaps their happiness will be enough to quell your dissent to these changes."

Morgan blinked and furrowed her brow as she tried to spin Inigo's statement in some way that wouldn't suggest Olivia being with anyone but Robin. Ultimately, she failed, but blamed her failure on the moderate amount of alcohol she had consumed and resolved to bear witness to Inigo's claims. She pushed herself out of her seat and walked brusquely to the doors of the tavern, giving her supposed brother little time to match her pace.

Any and all attempts made by Inigo to engage in conversation were ruthlessly brushed off by Morgan, who saw each effort as nothing more than a trivial, meaningless waste of her time. Until she had secured her place and that of her family in this world, all else could be made to wait.

Inigo led her to a street far larger than any of those she had previously taken to arrive at the tavern, one that would allow several carriages and masses of people alike to travel its distance unchallenged. They stood in an awkward silence Morgan insisted upon maintaining for many long minutes, allowing waves of gathering and passing people to wash over them, until great cheering could finally be heard on the distant reaches of the road.

Morgan craned her neck to better see the cause of the commotion, only now truly acknowledging how many people had gathered in the streets alongside her and Inigo. Her "brother" was even receiving the occasional greeting or bows and salutes, something which she knew he wasn't entirely deserving of if her memories of him were any indication. The sounds of cheering flowed gradually toward her position as she waited impatiently to determine their source.

"They've been doing this since they got married," Inigo said as a small mass of people before her was set to disperse and reveal the cause for all of the generated noise. "Exalt Emmeryn took up the practise herself, much like in our time. Chrom originally had no plans to uphold the tradition, but after losing Emmeryn and seeing how much the people of Ylisstol enjoyed meeting with their ruler, especially after all of the turbulent wars… well, even his desire to accommodate for his wife's shyness couldn't stop him from making the walk."

Morgan stared curiously at the crowd of people lining the street as they dispersed, her gaze then locking on the emergent forms of Chrom and Olivia. Her body refused to move anything but her head, freezing in place as the duo passed her by, waving to her and dozens of others and doing the same eagerly to Inigo between having more close-up greetings with a subset of Ylisstol's general populace. Olivia was blushing so greatly that she appeared to be on the brink of death from some terrible illness, but she smiled at everyone nearby all the same. Morgan remained locked in position for a full second after the couple had disappeared from her sight into another crowd.

She spun toward Inigo, her expression clouded and confused. "What is this? What have you shown me?"

"That was Olivia and Chrom, happily walking the streets of Ylisstol together as king and queen - husband and wife," Inigo said as he waved toward the throng of people engulfing the royals. "According to Lucina and all of the Shepherds, those two were together before Robin had even introduced himself. Everyone else from our time didn't arrive until later, at which point Chrom and Olivia had apparently already been together for years, but I see no reason to doubt anyone's claims."

Morgan blinked, her mind still struggling to piece what she had seen together with her plans for her family. "And… you decided you had to show me this, instead of simply telling me? You're also saying that this wasn't planned, and that there was no attempt made here to misdirected me?"

"Would you've believed me if I had merely told you?" Inigo asked with a wry smile. "I barely believed it myself when I found out… sometimes, I myself still struggle to remember that Olivia is with Chrom and not Robin. They look so similar to our parents… and no, I haven't had others fake an entire marriage for years in the chance that you arrive and want Robin to act as your father."

Morgan blinked again and then stared off blankly into space. "So… if Olivia somehow really is my mo- father's bride, and she already married Chrom before they could get together… their relationship was doomed to fail?"

"Exactly. There was nothing anyone could do," Inigo confirmed. "All that's left now is for us to move on and accept something greater than what we once knew. The happiness of our parents' doppelgangers, that which we can find for ourselves, that which we've given to so many people… isn't it far greater than any selfish ideal of a family long since past?"

"So… you're saying that in order to get father and Olivia together, I have to eliminate Chrom?" Morgan asked, ignoring everything he had said.

"What!? No!" Inigo shouted in shock. "No eliminating anyone! We already saved these people once; I don't want to have to do it again - not because of you!"

"Does Robin know that he should've been married to Olivia?" Morgan asked pointedly, once again ignoring him.

Inigo sighed and, after a long moment, shook his head. "He doesn't know anything, as far as I can tell. I never told him, never tried to speak to him, or even tried so much as to see him as my father. No one else from our time has told him, either. We all made a promise to keep such unnecessary things withheld from them, though some are regrettably more curious than the rest."

"Even Lucina hasn't told him anything?" Morgan asked rhetorically before scoffing. "Of course she hasn't. If she tells him something like that, all of these sick things she's playing at fall apart."

"Look, Morgan… can you at least try to get along with Lucina? Please?" Inigo pleaded. "She isn't evil, and neither are you. The best thing you can do now is try to get along, to communicate and understand what's happening."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Morgan waved away his words with a disinterested hand as she set her sights upon the castle looming over Ylisstol. "For now, though, I have some critical information to reveal. Let's see how well her charade holds up after father learns of this!" she said, and immediately dashed off toward the castle with greater speed than Inigo could reasonably hope to match.

"Wait, Morgan!" he called after her all the same, even going so far as to take a few steps before realising any effort put toward following her would be made in vain. "Huh… I think I did literally nothing to help," he remarked with a sigh before beginning the long walk toward Robin's grandmaster study.

* * *

Lucina laid on the couch in the rear of Robin's office, silently thankful that he had insisted upon providing the furniture long ago for her to rest on during her visits. She casually leafed through an unnecessarily large book on some ancient fantasy epic or another, mostly ignoring the content she glazed over in favour of troubling her mind with the matter of Morgan's arrival. The girl's appearance had certainty been unexpected, and had taken place at an incredibly inopportune time - though practically any time for her arrival would have been inopportune. Even so, Lucina was relieved that another of her close friends had survived their ordeals with time, with every person that she had known in the past now being accounted for in full.

In another section of the same room, Robin scrawled a pen lazily across yet another official parchment, one that would likely decide some aspect of the fate of Ylisstol itself. Or not. He would certainly inform Lucina of its contents if she were to ask, as he had done many times before. However, Lucina was merely content with being in his presence, the sounds of his writings and flipping through countless books pulling her into a greater sense of ease than she had ever experienced. She loved being with him. She loved him.

Her heart began to sink at the thought that she wasn't being entirely honest with him, that she hadn't revealed the full truth of her time and all that had previously occurred. Even now, as they rested alone together and relaxed easily, seemingly without a care in the world and with no pressure to reveal anything she didn't want to speak on, she felt guilt over having not told him everything possible, be it significant or meaningless.

Whatever she did now, Lucina knew it would be indicative of where their relationship headed and how they treated one another. All she wanted was for their situation to remain as it was, at ease and in a mutual happiness. She knew that couldn't be the case if she continued to conceal the truth.

"Hey, Robin?" she opened, attempting to retain as much of the relaxed atmosphere of the room as possible.

"Hm?" Robin replied wordlessly, never looking away from his paper. Even so, Lucina knew that he had diverted more than enough of his attention to her the moment she had spoken.

"Morgan's from my time, and she is your daughter. You were married to Olivia. Inigo is also your son."

Robin stopped writing for a moment, and Lucina immediately regretted the absence of the calming noise. He thankfully resumed a few short moments later, saying only, "Oh."

Lucina waited for something more, only for nothing to meet her ears but the sound of more relaxed paperwork. "Is… is that all? Only 'oh', nothing more?"

Robin turned to look at her, the smile on his face putting to rest the uncertainties she had struggled to rationalise. "I care about you, Lucina. I truly do love you. The actions of a different version of me from a future we've rewritten won't change that. As long as you're okay with this, I want to stay with you for as long as I can, no matter what."

Lucina copied his smile, returning to her book as her heart refused to reach the same calmness the rest of her body was enjoying. "As do I. If there's anything more you're at all curious about, please don't hesitate to ask. There should be no more secrets between us."

"Of course," Robin continued to smile as he returned to his unending supply of work.

Even after many more minutes of relaxing quietly in the study, Lucina's chest refused to settle. Their bond truly was unbreakable,one that had and would withstand any test the world could throw at them. Their love was stronger than anything - and anyone.

* * *

 **This was supposed to be finished and released a while ago, but obviously it wasn't. My bad.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Lucina closed the novel she had been reading, having finished the entire book without retaining any information whatsoever. She rose from the couch in the rear of Robin's grandmaster study and returned the book to one of the many shelves lining the room's walls, taking care to find where it had originally rested. As Robin continued to write and sign yet another official document, she located another interesting story and returned to the soft furniture around the study. She wished that they could remain in that relaxed state for all of eternity, and hoped more than anything that Robin felt the same.

"Robin?" she spoke up, gathering his attention in an instant without pulling him from his duties. "Do you enjoy this? Having me here, doing nothing as you work? I would by all means enjoy assisting you, but to tackle the labours of a grandmaster…"

"Don't worry yourself, Lucina. You've had enough of that for one lifetime, and you already pull your weight as an authority around the castle. I'm merely glad to have you here," Robin smiled brightly, an action that always somehow managed to induce a light blush in her cheeks. "Er, unless you don't want to be here, of course. I enjoy spending time with you in practically any form, but if you don't enjoy this then I'm certain there are hundreds of better things we can do together."

Lucina reciprocated his smile in full. "There's no need to worry, Robin. The books, the atmosphere, the calm, you… there's nothing about this that isn't wonderful. I'll stay for as long as you'll have me."

"You'll be here for a long time, then," Robin continued to smile as he returned to his paper. Lucina, too, returned to her book, her smile and blush fading only after several minutes.

An energetic knock sounded at the door to the study, prematurely fracturing the serenity within. Robin rose to greet the arrival, but was met by Lucina before he could fully stand, who gently pushed him back into place with a reassuring smile. She made her way to the door as Robin returned to his work with a smile of his own.

The knock sounded again as Lucina neared the door, this time with a greater urgency. Lucina hastened her pace in an unnecessary fear of what awaited her on the other side and quickly pulled it open, revealing Cordelia with her hand raised in preparation for another round of disturbances. The pegasus knight commander smiled innocently.

"Ah, Lucina! I thought I'd find you here," she said in a light yet rushed tone. "My apologies for the urgency; I noticed Morgan on her way here when I was landing, and believed that I should endeavour to meet with you before her. There's some critical information I believe you would like to hear."

"Er… of course. Please, come inside," Lucina stepped back from the door, waving Cordelia in.

Robin looked up from his work to smile and wave to his newly appeared friend. "Hey, Cordelia."

"Hey, Robin," Cordelia greeted in turn. She remained rooted in place outside the room, her eyes following Lucina. "Actually, do you mind if we talk in private? This should be for your ears alone, at least for now."

Lucina blinked and turned back toward Robin. The two shared a shrug, at which point Lucina spun back to Cordelia and stepped out into the hall alongside her without a second thought. She gently closed the study door to ensure their relative privacy.

"What's happened, Cordelia?" Lucina asked, her voice marked with concern. "You aren't typically one to do anything in such a rushed, unorthodox manner."

"Again, my apologies. I do this for the sake of preserving your relationship with Robin," Cordelia said with a genuine smile. "I'm not certain of what Morgan intends to do at the castle once she arrives, but considering Severa sent Inigo of all people to help the poor girl, I fear the outcome may be for the worst. Er, no offence to Inigo, of course. Well, some offence."

"Anyway, back to the reason I came here originally," Cordelia continued. "I know that Inigo and Morgan are siblings, and that Robin and Olivia are their parents. I promised Inigo I wouldn't say anything, but for you, I believe an exception must be made. As Morgan truly is Robin's daughter, she's undoubtedly clever beyond words, unless the future version of him somehow sired another outlier. Inigo wishes to inform everyone of all of this when the time comes, but I fear Morgan will be capable of circumventing all of that and dealing serious damage to your relationships. I don't want that to happen. So, I'd like to recommend that you be as open as possible with at least Robin, before Morgan can wreak any havoc."

Lucina nodded along to her information, taking every sentence in stride and processing each segment at a rate Cordelia and Robin both had long since come to accept as natural for one as exceptional as her. She took a moment to accept and understand everything after Cordelia had finished speaking, though she swiftly nodded and found her words then, too.

"I've already informed Robin of Morgan, Inigo, and Olivia," she said. "I appreciate that you came to me with this information, but it's proven largely unnecessary. Please, though, don't hesitate to bring forth anything similar. I too would like to maintain this relationship - more than I'm able to adequately express, should I be honest."

Cordelia couldn't help but break into a vibrant smile at her words. "Aw, of course you two would be the ones to have shared everything already! I shouldn't have worried. The two of you are sometimes too cute to be anything but adorable."

"Uh… thank you?" Lucina stammered in a moment of awkwardness that swiftly faded. Her romantic relationship with Robin may have been known to everyone for multiple years at this point, but even so she felt odd discussing such a topic with others.

"Well then, I suppose I should be off," Cordelia said, still smiling. "Morgan will be here shortly. I should leave you to your own liberties. Once again, I apologise for the unneeded disturbance."

She turned to exit the castle, but was immediately stopped by Lucina calling after her.

"Actually, Cordelia? Could you assist me for a moment?" Lucina asked, causing Cordelia to turn back to her in curiosity. "I don't intend to lose or even dampen my relationship with Robin, but I also don't wish to alienate Morgan. Do you have any suggestions as to what could be done for she and I to somehow bond? Possibly something you've done with Severa to grow close with her?"

"Um… Severa enjoys shopping, so possibly that?" Cordelia suggested, her brief shrug conveying how much faith she had in that eventuality. "I would suggest a good romance novel, but I'm pretty sure that conforms more to my taste than anyone else's… oh, you could try getting dinner. Normally, we'd only have to fight together to grow closer, but now that there are no real battles to be found…"

"Shopping, romance, and food… alright," Lucina said with an emphatic nod. "I'll be certain to apply what you've told me, Cordelia. I shall not fail."

"Er… right," Cordelia agreed with significantly less confidence. "Say, Lucina, do you actually know what you're doing? No offence, but you've never struck me as the most personable of people. You're more like a wartime or political leader and an ideal, not the most expressive or emotional person, you know?"

"I will admit to some difficulties in expressing myself; that much is true," Lucina confirmed. "Even so, I must give my greatest effort toward reconciling these tribulations with Morgan. This is an incredibly personal matter, and one that will only become more personal with time."

Cordelia smiled to her yet again. "If you ever need any more help, then you know where to find me. Please, don't hesitate to ask anything."

"One more matter, if I may?" Lucina stopped Cordelia again before she could depart. She opened her mouth as if to say something more, but then hesitated, her hands moving to wring the hem of her shirt as she shifted her gaze away from meeting Cordelia.

"...Lucina?" Cordelia goaded after a moment of silence, causing the Lucina's gaze to snap back to her in an instant. Her behaviour was hesitant, indecisive - something completely alien for someone usually so remarkably determined.

"Right, yes… well…" Lucina began again, casting one more glance back to Robin's study before taking a deep breath and focusing solely on Cordelia. "I… I would like to propose to Robin. Marriage, I mean."

Cordelia's mouth popped open in surprise as her eyes brightened and widened at once. Her expression swiftly morphed away from shock into sheer happiness, her mouth curling upward into a vibrant smile as her entire expression lit up in joy. A high-pitched squeal had already begun to escape from the depths of her lungs before Lucina could continue any further.

"Shh!" Lucina hissed, clamping a hand over Cordelia's mouth and sending a slightly more concerned glance toward the door of the grandmaster study. "I don't want Robin to be entirely aware of this yet. If something goes wrong, if I can't reconcile with Morgan, or if I can't find a way forward for all of us, then I don't know when I would be able to propose. It feels wrong for me to hide things like that from him, but I believe it to be for the best."

Cordelia pried Lucina's hand away from her face, and when she spoke she mimicked her friends' loud whisper. "Oh my gods, Lucina! This is the most amazing thing I've ever heard! What are you planning to do? Where? When? How can I help!?"

"I haven't yet thought much on specifics," Lucina said, her posture unflinching under Cordelia's growing enthusiasm despite her own desire to now hide herself away with Robin in his study. "The most I've done so far is to procure the blessings of Chrom and Olivia. Though they aren't my parents, and Olivia isn't the spouse of this Robin, such action felt necessary. I sincerely believe that I left them too confused to process what I was truly asking for. I've yet to even begin looking at rings or any such nonsense…"

"Okay, that's okay. I can work with this," Cordelia said, pulling Lucina into a long, unexpected embrace. "You're going to look stunning in your dress, Lucina! Ooh, and Robin as the groom, dressed in the finest suit from the finest tailors of Ylisse? The two of you will be the most beautiful couple to ever exist! Your ceremony will enrapture the entire world! So much beauty, all in one place! Ah, I can barely picture it!"

"Peace, Cordelia, please," Lucina said as she pried herself free from the other woman's grip. "I've never been one for such pageantry, and neither is Robin. Our ceremony, should we have one, would likely be a closed affair. No enrapturing of the world."

"I probably should've seen that coming. It's part of your charm, y'know?" Cordelia pouted. "So, what do you actually want my help with? Something romantic, right? Right?"

Lucina sighed, already silently regretting her decision to confide her intentions. "I suppose so. I don't want to be excessive, and I don't want to say or do anything until I'm certain that Morgan is okay with this, but I want to know what goes into a proposal. Is location of any significance? Does Robin expect a ring? Is there something more that comes after I present my feelings? I simply don't know."

"Well, you being the one to propose rather than him already defies all of my romance stori- er, all of many years of reliable experience," Cordelia said, "but I guess a lot of the relevant info still applies. You'll want some amazing, romantic scenery, a massive soliloquy about your feelings, chiseled abs, the Mark of the Exalt shining prominently in the moonlight… then the beautiful pegasus rider, who's seen too much loss and bloodshed for many a lifetime, finally finds solace in your warm, strong embrace…"

"Cordelia?" Lucina broke into her fantasy, shattering it entirely. "Robin isn't a pegasus rider. That won't impair the proceedings, will it?"

Cordelia blinked several times, trying and largely failing to understand where Lucina had found issue with her daydream. "Er… no, Lucina, it'll be fine. As long as it's you, I'm certain Robin will absolutely love it."

"Wonderful," Lucina smiled in such a heartfelt way that Cordelia couldn't help but agree. "Thank you for this, Cordelia. I know that my success will depend on what you've told me here today."

"Yeah, because there's no pressure there or anything… besides, your proposal will succeed because Robin loves you. Not because of my doldrums," Cordelia gave a partially forced smile that developed into being wholly genuine. She tilted her head toward the hallway she herself had entered from, and that smile quickly faded.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe you're about to have to deal with an incredibly personal and convoluted matter. I wish you the best," Cordelia said, and immediately began to exit in the direction opposite that which she had indicated.

Lucina waved her goodbye to Cordelia, then was met with the same incredibly loud shouting the rider had heard.

"I'm telling you to stop, Morgan! You're not going to help your cause; you'll only hurt them!" a first voice shouted. Lucina was easily able to place it as Inigo's.

"Sounds like it'll help my cause, then!" Morgan shouted in response. "Don't you want your family back, too? Or was that stuff at the tavern as shallow of a lie as the rest of you?"

Lucina raised an eyebrow and instinctively moved to bar the door to Robin's study. She had heard Morgan be angry before - including earlier this very day - but she had never heard her old friend sound so venomous. It was as though the young tactician was going out of her way to burn as many bridges as humanly possible. Lucina couldn't help but feel partially to blame.

Morgan sprinted toward Lucina and almost crashed into the wall at her side, with Inigo following in her footsteps a moment later. Apparently, the both of them had been running for quite some time.

"Oh, gods, you're here?" Morgan asked Lucina as she skidded to a halt, her voice laden with disdain. Inigo crashed toward her from behind as he failed to slow himself, though Morgan was able to step out of his way and leave her brother to crash into the wall she herself had narrowly avoided. "Doesn't matter; get out of my way," she said as she stepped around a groaning Inigo, causing Lucina to again raise her eyebrow. The Morgan she had known would have aided Inigo before tending to any other business.

"Morgan, wait! This is… uh… the wrong room!" Inigo said as he clutched at his face, some unnoticeable damage having harmed him in his crash. "Yeah, he, uh, uses a room on the complete opposite side of the castle! Another of the things we've changed in this time, right, Lucina?"

"Nonsense; Robin has always used this room. In fact, he's in there at this very moment," Lucina said, angling her head to the side as she tried to understand why Inigo would tell so blatant a lie.

"Godsdamnit, Lucina, I was trying to help keep her away," Inigo groaned, raising his hand to gesture to Morgan, who was waiting for Lucina to step aside with an impatient glare.

"Ah, I see. I assume you wish to speak with him, then?" Lucina asked, and Morgan's expression refused to change. "Er… right. Go ahead," she said, and moved to allow Morgan entry to Robin's study.

"Thanks, Lucina," Morgan smiled in a way that she herself knew was predatory before opening the door. With any luck, she was about to bring any semblance of a relationship between her father and Lucina to a grinding halt.

"Are you serious!? What are you doing!?" Inigo asked Lucina.

"There's nothing she shouldn't know, Inigo. Nothing that should be hidden," Lucina addressed him calmly. "That's the only way we'll be able to resolve this amicably. No hiding, and no lies."

"Fine, then you get to deal with her and everything she knows for the rest of the night," Inigo said, his expression then snapping into a smile. "Besides, I've recently learned about places to party here in Ylisstol. Feel free to join me whenever, yeah?"

"Try not to black out again," Lucina advised, then sighed as Inigo shrugged and made too eager of an exit from the hallway. She shook her head, already accepting that someone would have to go out of their way to find the Shepherd by morning, and turned to the grandmaster study. Morgan had already approached Robin's desk.

"You're saying you know already, and that you don't care!?" Morgan shouted, her jaw dropping. "How the hell can you be so apathetic!?"

"This isn't apathy - it's acceptance," Robin said. "I'm aware that another iteration of me married another iteration of Olivia, and that you're the daughter of those iterations, but if I'm honest I have no idea how or desire to be a father. I don't have those memories or experiences, so I'm not that Robin. It's the same as when I lost my memories and later decided to sever myself from my birth father."

"You're going to sever me!?"

"Sorry, poor choice of words," Robin smiled innocently, trying and failing to dispel Morgan's immense concern. "I believe we can be close friends and colleagues, but not family. That's a weird step I'm not willing to take."

Morgan's face twitched before she rapidly spun on Lucina, who froze in her gradual movements to approach Robin's side. "You've done this!" she accused. "You've turned my own father against me! How far are you willing to go to ruin everything!?"

"Don't blame her, Morgan. She's only followed her heart. There's no fault in that," Robin said.

"I will admit, I've approached all that's happened in too callous a way," Lucina said, silencing Morgan's instinctive a antagonistic shout before it had formed. "Perhaps we could work to resolve this, Morgan? Would you like to go shopping with me, and possibly get something to eat afterward?"

"I beg your pardon? Is that your attempt at resolving everything that's happening here?" Morgan asked, her voice growing heavy with scorn.

"I think it's a good idea," Robin interjected. "Going out together will give the two of you time to talk, and will help to resolve all of this. It's not like it can hurt anything, right?"

Morgan narrowed her gaze on Robin as a small smile crept onto her face. "If I do this, will you consider leaving Lucina and taking your rightful place as my father?"

"Gods, no. Why would I do that?" Robin shook his head, appearing to be revolted by the very suggestion.

Morgan spun her head toward Lucina, urging her to give a response of her own and already prepared to blame the ex-princess for all that was happening. "And you? Any chance you aren't yet locked in your errant ways?"

Lucina shrugged. "I suppose anything can happen?"

"Alright, that's good enough! Let's go!" Morgan cheered, spinning and pumping her fist in excitement, missing how Lucina turned to Robin and silently mouthed to him 'we'll be fine'. "Ha, seriously, you have no idea how good I am at convincing people of things. This'll be great!"

Robin opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately closed and reopened it in support. "Okay, then. Have fun, you two. I'll wrap up my work here and see if I can join you another time."

"Don't worry yourself, Robin. Things will turn out better than they are now," Lucina reassured him. She moved toward him again and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a deep kiss he quickly reciprocated.

She could hear Morgan gagging.

* * *

Lucina sheathed Falchion as another training dummy collapsed, having met its doom from her rapid strikes. She took a deep breath and returned to the boxes of supplies stacked at the edge of the training field, resolving to relax for a moment before cleaning the mess she had created. Afterward, she would have to retire for the night; the sun had left her to train in what was effectively a silent darkness for well over an hour.

Robin was already leaning against some of the crates, a flask of water in his hands, which he passed to Lucina as she joined him in a similar relaxed lean on another stack. "It's a little late to be training, no?"

"The Valmese forces vastly outnumber us. It would be foolish to rest on our laurels after only a few skirmishes," Lucina said, taking a drink from the flask before passing it back to Robin with a thankful nod. "Besides, isn't it late for you to be spying on training, too?" she continued, a rare smile emerging on her face and erasing any thoughts Robin may have held about being unwanted. His company was far too agreeable for her to actually act so derisively.

"Not for a grandmaster, sadly," Robin smiled himself before blinking and furrowing his brow. "Wait… was that a joke? An actual moment of you not being completely serious?"

"That it was. You should be glad to have witnessed such a wonderful moment," Lucina continued to smile, pleased that her doing so resulted in a similar expression on Robin's features. "What actually brings you here, Robin? Nothing too important, I hope? Er, that's not to say I don't want to talk to you, or that I want you to go out of your way to… why are you here?"

"About that…" Robin said, immediately growing hesitant and ignoring how Lucina had become remarkably flustered. "If I'm remembering correctly, tomorrow's your birthday. I'm not sure of what's going to happen after today, if we'll have to do anything that ensures we're apart, so I wanted to wish you a happy birthday now, when I know I can talk to you. I don't have a gift, or cake, or anything, but… yeah. Happy early birthday."

Lucina couldn't help but let her smile grow brighter. "Robin, I… thank you. I'll admit, I'd almost forgotten the day myself, but to know that you remember such a thing warms my heart. Ah, now I feel like a monster for not knowing yours…"

"Don't worry about it. I honestly don't know myself," Robin laughed. "Another of the drawbacks to amnesia. If I'm being honest, though, I don't really mind. The Shepherd birthday celebrations always seem… complex. I've never celebrated one, despite Chrom's insistence."

"You've never had a birthday? That's awful!" Lucina exclaimed, and before she knew it, her words were pressing forward into territory her mind had yet to register. "Why don't you celebrate yours tomorrow, with me? I'm not certain of the conventions of these celebrations myself, but I believe having you there would help."

"I, uh…" Robin stammered, more taken aback by the unexpected proposal than he could have possibly anticipated. "If you think you'd prefer it, then… sure? I don't know much of what to do myself."

"We can figure it out together, then," Lucina said, a faint smile remaining on her face. "I'll find you tomorrow, Robin, when I'm certain we're unlikely to have any interruptions. Until then," she continued to smile.

"Uh… yeah. Until then," Robin replied with a smile of his own, his hand raised in a simple wave as he exited the training field.

Lucina's smile refused to fade, even as she set about the arduous task of cleaning her mess of training dummies. The first proper birthday she would be celebrating, one not distorted by the ruin of her time or her separation from everyone she called her friends and family, would be spent alongside Robin. All of the happiness she gained from that was met with an equivalent amount of uncertain nervousness. Her smile slowly turned into a frown as her cheeks involuntarily reddened.

What on earth was she thinking? She had no idea how to properly celebrate a birthday, and now she was dragging Robin down to her level! What if he was simply humouring her, or if he ended up hating whatever happened tomorrow? What if he ended up hating her?

Such a thing was unthinkable. Lucina couldn't bring herself to hate him, and she hoped with all of her heart that Robin considered her at least a friend. She felt horrible that she had put their questionable relationship under so much strain without even thinking.

She would have to resolve this. There needed to be some guarantee that things would go well, that she and Robin would enjoy spending their time together. Thankfully, she was lucky enough to count among her friends someone who was a master of enjoying themselves.

Lucina abandoned her mess in order to run across the Shepherds' encampment, not stopping until she had arrived near breathlessly at a particular tent. She tapped her hand against the fabric of the tent's entrance, her actions growing silent as the clandestine nature of her intentions overtook all else.

"Inigo! I need to speak with you!" she quietly shouted.

Inigo popped his head out from his tent, his hair disheveled and bags remaining under his eyes from his late night endeavours. "Lucina? To what do I owe this great pleasure?" he said, a smile manifesting on his face despite his exhaustion.

"How do you celebrate a birthday? I need to know, urgently!"

Inigo blinked, his smile wavering as he struggled to understand what was happening. "What? How would I know? I've never celebrated one before. You guys only found me a few days ago at the Great Gate, and before that I never had the opportunity."

"Yes, but you know how to celebrate, and be personable, and… things! I need to know how to be like that!"

"Why does it matter if- wait, tomorrow's your birthday, isn't it? Er, today? What time is it?" Inigo asked, remaining in his confusion for far longer than he desired. "Uh… happy birthday?"

"No, that's not it!" Lucina said, continuing her low-volume whisper-shouting. "I've convinced Robin to celebrate his birthday tomorrow, too, and I don't want to ruin anything! What has to be done to celebrate? You would know, right?"

"I suppose?" Inigo said through a yawn. "Whatever. Listen, Lucina, be yourself. You're already naturally confident, so there's not much advice I can give you. Ugh… listen, I'm still absurdly tired from having to learn about and deal with everything that's changed between our time and this one, so I'm going to have to sleep. I'm not going to be of any help for a while…"

"Godsdamnit, Inigo! Now's not the time!" Lucina hissed, but he was already retreating into his tent. "Come on, Inigo! I can't… I don't want to mess this up! What if I fail at something and Robin stops considering me his friend?"

"From what I gather, he doesn't seem like that kind of person. No one here does," Inigo yawned again. "Also… are you sure this is only about being his friend? I don't think I've ever seen you this concerned."

"What do you mean?" Lucina asked pointedly, though she couldn't hide the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks.

Inigo's eyebrows climbed high on his forehead as his smile returned. "Wow. Good luck, Lucina. Seriously, right now you seem… I don't know. It's nice to see you care so much about something other than the fate of the world. Goodnight!" he said, slipping his head fully behind the protection of his tent flap.

"Inigo! Inigo, you- godsdamnit!" Lucina cursed softly, groaning before turning and leaving her friend to his rest.

Things would be okay. She would make them okay, because she couldn't fail. There was no way she would allow her friendship with Robin to be anything less than the greatest it could ever be. They would always have the time and opportunity to celebrate together, provided Robin was willing - Lucina herself always would be.

Maybe, one day, their friendship could become something more.

* * *

Morgan's eye twitched as she stared at Lucina, her mouth hanging open in disgust. Lucina looked at Morgan innocently, smiling before returning to examining the atrociously coloured clothing from the quaint Ylisstol store in which they were currently stood.

"Good gods, Lucina, I asked whether what Inigo had said was true or not, not for a godsdamn play-by-play," Morgan said.

"My apologies… sweetie," Lucina smiled, though it was incredibly strained. "I'll be certain to pay you more attention in the future."

Morgan's disgust twitched back into place. "What did you call me?"

"Would you prefer something other than sweetie?" Lucina asked, her complete lack of comfort remaining evident. "How about… honey? Baby? Morgy? I know little of how to act motherly, but I believe such pet names are a requisite."

Morgan's disgust grew a thousand fold. "What!? No, gods no! What are you saying!?"

"Your issue with me came from the fact that Robin couldn't act as your father while with me, no?" Lucina asked. "I'm not willing to leave Robin, but I can act as a member of your family. It may not be the same as Olivia, but I promise to try my best for you."

"You… you're disgusting!" Morgan recoiled, already beginning to back out of the store. "You think that's what I want!? You think I want you!? I want my actual family back!"

"I understand how difficult it is to be without a father or mother, Morgan, and I know how difficult it is to see people who so closely resemble them every day," Lucina said in an effort to comfort her friend. "However, you must know that they aren't our families. It's difficult to accept, I know, but that's how things are."

"Why does it have to be that way!?" Morgan countered. "So that you don't feel guilty about anything? So you can rip away everything I hold dear!? No… no, I'm not going to let this happen! I won't let you pretend to be my mother!"

She turned and ran from the shop, disappearing once more into the clamour of Ylisstol, leaving Lucina to hold a garish dress in confusion. Morgan seemed upset. Was shopping and parental bonding not supposed to help their relationship?

* * *

 **I swear, I'm not trying to have these updates be so slow, I'm just really lazy. Kind of. I'm trying not to be.**

 **A surprising amount of my time on this was actually spent on keeping the chapter short, since I have a tendency to write insanely large things (for reference, the other story I'm working on right now has started averaging 20k+ words per chapter, so this limit is kind of necessary). My intention with this story was to write something significant in a limited word count of about 5k words per chapter, but even now I find sticking to that limit surprisingly difficult. I may even end up lifting it for the final chapter (which also wasn't supposed to exist in the first place. It's another** **testament** **to me getting carried away as I write).**

 **Some of the stuff in this chapter may seem a little weird right now, but I assure you that practically everything is building up to something more, primarily the culmination of our main conflict and its resolution. That excessive buildup is my style for practically everything I write.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Inigo teetered in place, struggling to stand straight as his mind refused to clear. He wasn't entirely certain of where he was at the moment, but he knew that Morgan was nearby; if not, Cordelia wouldn't have dropped him here. Apparently, he had to play the role of babysitter whenever his sister began to cause trouble.

Ylisstol's red light districts had been more wonderful than he had anticipated, with enough clubs available that he had been permitted entry to two for every one that had bounced him away. What's more was that the drinks in each never failed to satisfy him, and the women in each only grew more desirable. He couldn't have wished for a more splendid place in all the world.

However, he had now been ripped from his realm of enjoyment, and at Robin's request had been carried by Cordelia and her pegasus to some other, unknowable street. Some matter with Morgan required his intervention. Cordelia had likely given him the specifics when he was being transported, but he couldn't exactly remember flying anywhere at the moment. He couldn't recall much of anything.

Several buildings lined the street at both of Inigo's sides, offering any number of locations in which Morgan could be hiding. Without thinking much on where she would have headed, or where Cordelia had told him she was waiting, Inigo began to stumble from building to building, only stopping to think and scan around whenever someone yelled for him to leave. He would then simply continue on to the next location.

Eventually, after what was either a matter of minutes or days, he was halted completely by a firm hand placed on his chest. Morgan manifested before him from a haze of nothingness, a scowl already pervading her expression.

"Hey, Morgan! I've been looking for you! Robin wanted me to… to do something?" Inigo slurred in greeting.

"Yes, you told me that the first two times," Morgan continued to scowl, the force she was applying against Inigo's chest with one hand remaining constant. "Stop walking toward the pond, idiot. Sit down on the bench."

Inigo looked around, a park with several benches and a large central pond replacing the buildings through which he had been wandering. A family of ducks was loudly quacking away in the pond. Or maybe they were geese. Or possibly bears. Inigo really couldn't tell.

"Whoa! How'd you do that?" he turned toward Morgan, then kept turning when he failed locate her. His mind began to panic, fretting over how he had managed to lose her so soon after finally ascertaining her location.

"Sit down already!" Morgan said with far more force, her hand pushing out to direct Inigo into place on a bench to his rear. The drunken Inigo finally sat down, and with an exhausted sigh Morgan sat next to him.

"Wait, what happened to the city?" Inigo wondered aloud as he stared out over the small expanse of nature before him. "You didn't bring me out to the middle of nowhere to kill me, did you? That's really mean, Morgan."

Morgan pushed an exasperated breath out of her lungs, grabbed the top of Inigo's head with one hand, and spun it ninety degrees so that he could once again see the street on which she had found him. Inigo's expression lit up immediately.

"Wow… I love city."

"Why the hell did Robin send you out here?" Morgan asked as she buried her head in her hands. "Was it purely to torment me? No, that's more of Lucina's thing…"

"No, no, no! I'm here to help!" Inigo insisted. Uh… someone did something, so me, being the amazing person that I am, will fix everything! So, uh… what happened?"

"Lucina's trying to be my mother, and doesn't understand why that's insanely disgusting," Morgan said.

"Fear not! I'll remedy this!" Inigo slurred. "First of all, you're absolutely, one hundred percent certain that you're not into that kind of thing?"

Morgan blinked once and then reeled back in disgust. "What? What are you asking me? Actually, no, don't even begin to answer that. I don't want to know."

"Okay!" Inigo agreed easily. "Well, if it's Lucina who's causing you a problem, and if talking to her hasn't worked… you could kill her. That's probably the only way you'll be able to stop her from reaching whatever goal she sets herself."

Morgan paused for a second, legitimately considering the suggestion before shaking her head. "I don't want to hurt her, Inigo. She's doing some vile, horrific things, but she was once my friend. I can't bring myself to be as evil as her."

"Hey, why do you hate her so much, anyway?" Inigo asked "It can't all be because of her being with Robin, right?"

"Of course that's why!" Morgan replied. "What more of a reason do I need to hate someone, regardless of the fact that we were once such close friends? She's almost managed to tear my family away from me - from us. Can't you see how close we are to having the lives we always wanted?"

"I do. I see it every day, whenever I see anyone who was once our parent or aunt or uncle or whatever else," Inigo said in a sudden moment of clarity. "It can be difficult, but you and I both need to remember that they aren't actually our relatives. Everyone needs to remember that, otherwise… things get weird."

Morgan's gaze narrowed on Inigo. "What do you mean, 'weird'?"

"Listen, Morgan, our parents are dead. They never got out of our future. They won't show up here, and we won't be able find them completely in these weird past versions of the people we knew," Inigo said, though Morgan's gaze remained narrowed. "At this point, we won't have our parents ever again. At the same time, I'll always be your brother, and I don't plan on dying anytime soon. I'll be here for you, even though our parents aren't. I hope you feel the same."

"I'm sorry, are you trying to reassure me? You're not doing a very good job," Morgan said, her voice coming across unintentionally cold. She didn't much mind that fact. "I still don't remember you. For all I know, you aren't my brother."

"Ouch," Inigo winced, and in his drunken stupor her words appeared to cause him legitimate physical harm. "Isn't the same true for Robin and Olivia? They don't know you, so saying you're their child is pretty absurd. Doubly so for Robin, being an amnesiac and everything."

"Theoretically, yes, but they can't deny the biological and therefore interlinked emotional connection we share. If you could scientifically prove that same thing to me, I would by all means act as your sister, but- ugh, nevermind, there's no point to this. You'll only end up forgetting it again in a few minutes," Morgan groaned in frustration.

"You already have science to back up your claims to being their child?" Inigo asked.

"I know that my link to them is true," Morgan said. "Unless I can somehow procure some very choice samples, then that's all I have at the moment. Even so, that's enough for me. It should be enough for them."

"Cool. I love science," Inigo yawned happily.

"Of course you do," Morgan nodded and sighed, her tired head then falling once more into her hands as she prepared to deal with Inigo for a while longer. "What was that you mentioned, about things being weird? What does that mean?"

"Do you remember when we were little, and mom was teaching us how to dance?" Inigo asked in turn.

"No, Inigo, I keep telling you that I don't have any memories of-" Morgan began to say, before sighing again as she realised such an endeavour was pointless and would in no way serve her desired end. "Yeah, Inigo, I remember. Dancing. What a fun time."

"Hey, there you go! See, I'm a miracle worker!" Inigo smiled proudly. "Anyway, you remember how mother was teaching us the steps to her favourite dance that one day? The one where you kept running to father's study, trying to read instead of dancing and thinking that he would help you?"

"...Yep. Definitely."

"You barely learned any of the steps, but I memorised each and every one," Inigo said. "Mother was so happy to see me take to dancing… all I wanted was to see her smile. There was too much frowning in the world, even then."

"Mhm," Morgan agreed automatically, her voice autonomous. She would do anything to move their conversation forward.

"I learned as much of that dance as I could, but… but she died before she could show me the end. I always had to improvise my own," Inigo said, his words catching in his throat despite his easy smile. "That was, until now. I don't have to guess anymore, because the Olivia of this time showed me. I asked one day to see her favourite dance, and after she had bitten down her embarrassment, she danced through the entire thing. I memorised the ending and repeated it myself all without revealing to her that I was her son."

They sat together in silence for a long moment, Morgan expecting something more from the story that never came. Inigo had finished his tale and was content to merely watch the pond before him.

"Was there a point to this, or…?" Morgan eventually led Inigo further, pushing him to expand upon his memory. She felt as though she was close to something, some kind of breakthrough, but she couldn't tell why.

"She's my mother, Morgan. Olivia," Inigo said, his voice less steady but all the more certain. "It doesn't matter if it's this time or another, she's my mother and she always will be. She knew the steps to that dance. She was the only one who knew until I came along. It doesn't matter what we say, what we pretend - she is, and will always be, my mother. I… I can't get over that."

Morgan blinked, then allowed her mouth to fall open as she processed what he was saying. She didn't yet dare to twist her expression into a smile. "You… you're saying that, despite everything you claim and have tried to argue, you still see Olivia as part of your family? You see Robin as your father, too, right?"

Inigo nodded his head solemnly. "Yeah. A lot of us do. Even Lucina still sees Chrom as her father. Did you know that that's how she was found out? She yelled 'father!' when he was about to die, and swooped in to protect him. Cynthia hasn't taken this well, either. I don't remember the last time I saw her… Sumia's as far from the throne as you could imagine, too. Not a lot of us are benefiting from this."

"Then why do you let Lucina ruin things?" Morgan asked. "She's being a hypocrite, a liar, and is forcing all of you to do something you don't want to do. She's practically playing a game with people's lives. Why not try to get your family back?"

"She isn't forcing anything," Inigo said. "You've been here for a day, Morgan. You haven't seen everything yet. She smiles so much when she's with Robin, and he smiles even more. There've been too few smiles in the world. Too much sorrow and hate. Too many frowns. No one wants to steal their happiness away from them."

"Despite the fact that you suffer as a result?" Morgan asked pointedly. "Everyone could be happy, Inigo! Everyone could have their families back! If only she wasn't in the way…"

"What are you gonna do, then?" Inigo asked, matching her more aggressive tone.

"Show them our rings and say 'hey, I'm your kid, love me'? Are you going to tear Lucina away from Robin? Force the Shepherds to accept people as family that aren't their family? They're all adults, and so are we. We can't ask them to be our parents and rewind time by ten, fifteen years so that we can pretend to be kids again."

"But you already said that you see them as your family!" Morgan said, frustrated that Inigo was running his own mind and therefore hers in circles.

"Part of them," Inigo corrected Morgan, as though that mattered to her. "Olivia knows her dance, and in that way, I know that she's beyond a doubt my mother. When she looks at me, though… there's no connection. No love. The only way there ever would be is if I forced or coerced it out of her. This Olivia didn't give birth to me. She didn't raise me. We're as much of family to one another as we are to any other Shepherd."

"You only think that because you've already given up," Morgan said without missing a beat. "People can change. If Olivia learned to love you as her son once, it can happen again."

"We don't exactly suffer, either," Inigo said, ignoring much of what Morgan was saying for lack of an ability to process her argument. "We don't directly benefit, but this way we get to stay somewhat close to the people we care about. The alternative would be to risk losing them altogether for some vain shot at a wrongful forced happiness… no. I'd never take that chance. I don't know anyone who would."

"Coward," Morgan spat under her breath, with Inigo thankfully no longer possessing the awareness to hear her hushed tone. She let a long, tired breath escape from her mouth and leaned as far back on the bench as she possibly could, her head bending back far enough that all she could see was sky. Her day had been remarkably stressful. All she currently wanted was information and a long nap.

"So, Lucina still sees parts of our time in this past, huh," she said to herself, though Inigo nodded in response anyway. "If she sees Chrom in some way as being her father, then she may also see Robin as the authority figure she would've once known… ew, no, I really don't want to think about that. It'd somehow make things more messed up than they already are. Though, knowing Lucina as I've come to since this morning… er, yesterday morning, technically…"

"Ah, hell, what day is it?" Inigo asked, raising his hand above his head to block rays from a sun that had yet to rise. "I'm not missing anything important today, am I?"

"You're such a mess," Morgan commented wryly, peeking at Inigo through the corner of her eye without redirecting her head away from the sky.

"Yeah, that's okay," Inigo yawned. He began to curl himself up on the bench, his head hanging off the edge as he took care to not accidentally prod Morgan with his feet as he swung them into place, level with the rest of his body. "I'm gonna take a quick nap. Wake me up when it doesn't hurt so much to look around."

"I pray that your drinking isn't always this problematic. If it is, and if it's something more caused by Lucina changing things for the worse, then I suppose I'll only have to redouble my efforts."

"Nope, it's all good," Inigo yawned. "You probably don't remember this because of your amnesia, but I've had a thing for drinking for a while. Tea, coffee, shots… everything's good."

Morgan gave a relaxed nod before her mouth twitched into a frown. "Wait, you know I have amnesia? Are you actually drunk right now, or was this some kind of trick?"

"Ha, the joke's on you! I've been drinking water this entire-!" Inigo began to say before lurching his head to the side and futilely spinning his entire body as he began to retch. As he devolved into complete vomiting, Morgan found herself glad that she had long since diverted her attention from his form.

Sadly, she now had to call into question the accuracy of the claims he had made, considering that he was definitively intoxicated. He may also be an incredibly dedicated method actor. The latter possibility deserved nothing more than all of the commendation Morgan could muster, but the chance that he was being honest despite his impairment was the far more tantalising of the two options. His claims would have to be validated as soon as possible.

For now, Morgan had time to rest. After the day she had stumbled through, she deserved as much relaxation as possible. All she had to do was close her eyes. Ignore Inigo's heaving and retching. Ignore how the sun was rising on a new day. All she wanted was to sleep…

"May I presume that now is an adequate time to interject?"

Morgan's eyes snapped open to the sight of a head poised directly above hers, looking down and silhouetted by the odd combination of dawn sun and moonlight that lingered in the space between night and day. Morgan snapped her own head away from the other as she jumped up from her seat in the bench, her heart racing from the sudden scare. The other head and the person to whom it belonged slowly returned to their proper posture as Morgan spun to face them. Inigo, too, lazily turned to take in the new arrival.

"Lucina!? Good gods, what are you doing!? Were you trying to scare me to death!?" Morgan accused as her heart rate gradually slowed to normal. "Wait… why are you here? Were you eavesdropping on us!?"

"I intended to cause you no harm," Lucina said in a calming tone that did nothing but infuriate Morgan. "I did overhear part of your conversation, but I didn't wish to impose my presence when such a thing was unnecessary. However, I can now assure you that my view of people in this time as those we once knew is… limited."

"You hesitated to say that. Don't think I didn't notice," Morgan pointed out, all too ready to dispute any claim Lucina could make. "Also, how long were you listening for? Were you creeping around, waiting for the perfect time to make your arrival in the least opportune way imaginable?"

"Again, I intended nothing ill toward you," Lucina reassured her. Inigo only now took notice of her presence, giving her an incredibly pleasant wave that she passively reciprocated. "I followed after you once you ran from me. Should I have done something different?"

"Not scaring the hell out of me would be a good start," Morgan muttered before putting up the strongest air of authority she could muster. "Regardless, I now know your secret - your weakness. I promise you, I'll yet find a way to separate you and my father. I know I'm close."

Lucina sighed and shook her head. "Morgan, our bond cannot be so easily destroyed. Why must you pursue such unnecessarily aggressive methods? Can we not settle this in a cordial manner, without treachery and deception? Can we not continue to be friends?"

"That all went out the window the moment you started sleeping with my father," Morgan said pointedly.

Lucina's expression froze. Her eyes widened dramatically as a blush crept onto her face. "That… th-that isn't…"

Morgan blinked before her expression began to mimic that of Lucina. "That was… that was an exaggeration, Lucina. A joke. You haven't actually done anything like that… right? Right!?"

"I… i-it's not… ah…" Lucina stammered, doing nothing to quell either her own blush or Morgan's rising horror.

"Ey, attagirl! Get yourself some!" Inigo slurred happily from the bench, flashing a thumbs up and another overly eager smile that was met only by a fierce glare from Morgan.

"Ahem…" Lucina cleared her throat, coughing into her fist and managing to subdue her blush in the slightest amount. "I… I believe that what happens between Robin and I in private should be of little concern to anyone else, even you. There are many things we do together, and to divulge such information here would be inappropriate. I'm, ah… not sure how else to put that…"

"Oh, gods, I'm going to vomit…" Morgan whimpered, and once more took her seat on the bench, this time to calm her spinning head. "Why… why have you done this? Why are you still being so blunt, so careless about everything? Have you no tact? No shame? Is nothing going to stop you from tearing apart my world?"

"Morgan, I…" Lucina began, leaning over the back of the bench to console her friend before realising she had no real idea of how to do so. "I… I'm sorry. I love Robin. I no longer know what boundaries I'm overstepping, or how many ways I've wronged you, and I honestly don't know if I ever considered any of that in the first place, but I love him. Nothing will change that. I care for you, too, and more than anything I want for everything to be okay between all of us. As of now, I simply don't know how to achieve that."

"Leave," Morgan ordered, with more commanding a tone than she herself thought possible under her circumstances.

"Just… just go. I don't want to so much as see you right now."

Lucina lingered in place for a long moment before slowly nodding in acceptance. "Okay, Morgan. I hope to see you again soon. Discussion will only do us good," she said, and with another nod intended to reassure herself, she began to depart from the park.

Morgan couldn't help but watch her leave. She was headed in the direction of the castle. The direction of Robin. Morgan silently cursed her name and returned to nursing her head before she, too, would be forced to retch.

"She might've meant it literally, you know," Inigo spoke up, having once again curled into a tight ball on the bench.

"Do… do you think so?" Morgan asked, already willing to jump on whatever ray of hope could be offered to her.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, they're probably going at it like crazy. You've seen the way they look at each other," Inigo said, crushing her little remaining hope. "It's Lucina, though. She probably thinks that having a strong enough emotional bond to literally spend the night with someone is as big and clandestine of a thing as… you know. Sex."

Morgan returned yet again to cradling her head. "Don't say that word anywhere near me - especially not when you're talking about them. I never want to think about that again."

"You got it!" Inigo agreed easily. "What now, though? Is it finally time to sleep? Please?"

"I don't understand how she doesn't get what's so wrong," Morgan said, ignoring Inigo yet again. "Does she not see how callous she's being about this? Does she not care? Has she completely disregarded the sacred union Robin and Olivia made, without any regard for all that they went through to get together?"

"Eh, it wasn't exactly anything big," Inigo shrugged as best he could while still curled into a ball. "All he did was flip a coin."

Morgan's mind failed to function for a split second as it struggled to process what Inigo had so nonchalantly shared. "Who did what?"

"Robin flipped a coin," Inigo restated, as though it were obvious, before his addled memory kicked into gear. "Oh, that's right! You were still a little kid when mother told us that story! You were probably too young to remember, huh? Though I did share it around a lot for years afterward…"

"I keep telling you, Inigo, I don't-" Morgan started before giving her most frustrated sigh yet. "Yeah, I guess I was too young. Now tell me about this coin flip."

"It's how Robin and Olivia - the ones who were our father and mother - got together," Inigo explained. "Both other-Chrom and father were enamoured with her from the moment they met her, and by the end of the battle against Gangrel they were each aware of the other's feelings. They flipped a coin to see who got to talk to her first, and father won that flip. Mother thought it was so cute, but the circumstances sounded so frail to me. I'd never want to leave something like that up to pure chance."

"They… they flipped a coin," Morgan repeated after him, and Inigo nodded happily. "That's how they decided something as important as who they would marry. The flip of a coin. Holy hells, I think I'm about to have a full on migraine…"

"It's kind of weird when you think about it, huh?" Inigo said. "A coin flip sets our entire lives in motion. Something so small has such a big impact. Robin won, married Olivia, Chrom immediately turned around and married Sumia, then you, myself, Lucina, and Cynthia are all born… because of a coin flip. Crazy, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty damn insane," Morgan muttered, her voice lingering in total derision. "What happened in this time, Chrom won the toss, so he gets to be with Olivia? She doesn't get agency of her own to choose Robin? Is Sumia merely cast aside and forgotten? How the hell is he being so insensitive about all of this!? He's as bad as his daughter!"

"You're talking about Chrom?" Inigo pieced together despite his addled mind. "Sure, he's kind of fault too, but I'm pretty sure Robin played a bigger part in the new outcome. Or an equal part. I, ah… I'm not really sure on how probabilities work at the moment. Math is way too hard right now."

Morgan ignored him, muttering to herself as she rose from the bench and began fervently making her way toward the castle. "A godsdamn coin… seriously? No, there's no way father would agree to that. If he did… no, no, he wouldn't. There's no way he would. That's absurd!" she laughed to herself, only then remembering to pause and address Inigo.

"Wait here and don't get yourself killed, okay?" she shouted to him over her shoulder. Without waiting for a reply, she began advancing once more on the castle, fully intent on putting off sleep until she had reached the bottom of this egregious new matter.

"Okay!" Inigo shouted back to her. He then promptly collapsed into a peaceful rest, curled as he was into a horrendously scented ball on a small park bench. In his current state, he couldn't wish for anything more than sleep.

Inigo knew he would need to think clearly, now more than ever. Morgan needed the same. Part of him feared what she would do, volatile and sleep-deprived as she was, but the part that called for him to rest easily won out over all else.

* * *

 **I'm not late this time! Hooray! This may very well end up being the only time this ever happens - as a matter of fact, I had originally planned to have this chapter go up a few days ago, but somehow managed to delay myself.**

 **For some reason, there's a single line of text in this chapter that I can't format properly (Morgan saying** '"Just… just go. I don't want to so much as see you right now."' **). It looks fine in my document, but when it's on the preview here, it gets pushed to a new line, and attempting to fix it causes the text of said line to shift into a different size and font. I'll probably try to find a way to fix it in the future, but I'm a pretty lazy person, so it may take a while. Hopefully it's not noticeable, or at least not too egregious.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Years had passed since the night Robin had first properly spoken to Lucina - the night he had elected to meet with her over trying to speak with Olivia. He knew now that it had been the right choice to make. Were he to relive that moment, he would choose that course of action again and again, without fail.

Robin slid down the fortress wall to his back with an exhausted sigh. The battle against Gangrel had been incredibly hard fought, leaving himself and every Shepherd on the brink of collapse. Most had returned to their encampment near Ferox, leaving only himself, Chrom, their newly joined member Olivia, and a few others present on the brutally scarred battlefield. The sun was already setting over northern Plegia, and Robin knew he would have to soon leave for camp, but he had no real desire to do so. Not when he could watch Olivia dance for a little while longer.

Time seemed to slow when Olivia danced. Whatever feat of performance she was pulling off was exceptional, reinvigorating soldiers and encouraging them beyond measure. Were she to tell Robin that her dancing was imbued with magic and relied on spells to function, there was no way everyone in the Shepherds wouldn't be made to learn from her.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" a voice intruded on Robin's thoughts as he watched Olivia dance for a group of soldiers from afar.

"Chrom," Robin recognised the voice immediately and stood to greet his friend, groaning from the aches in his muscles as he rose. "I was… uh…"

"Stalking the new recruit?" Chrom asked casually. Robin hadn't noticed him approach, and had failed to notice him standing against the same wall, facing Olivia the same as he. Chrom hadn't turned to face Robin yet, either, with his vision remaining locked on the distant dancer.

"I… guess you would have to call it that, yeah," Robin said unhappily, but not without an uncertain smile. Chrom was unlikely to punish him for such action, after all - especially not when he appeared to be indulging in the same.

Robin waited for Chrom to say something more, but nothing came. The Exalt-to-be was far too enraptured in Olivia's dancing to notice or care that Robin was waiting for him to speak. Even when Robin waved a hand in front of Chrom's face, the greatest reaction he gave was a few rapid blinks.

"And what, if I may ask, do you think you're doing?" Robin asked, the scorn in his voice increasing with each moment that Chrom's hypocrisy subsisted.

"Reviewing the performance of our latest member - which is what you should've been doing," Chrom said without paying Robin much mind. He blinked and finally tore his gaze away from Olivia, turning to face Robin with an idiotic smile. "Our fighting is done. You should return to the others. Celebrations are undoubtedly already underway."

"The same goes for you," Robin said. "What would Sumia say if you were to stay away from camp for longer than me, hm?"

"To be perfectly honest, I haven't thought of her much since that last battle started," Chrom sighed. He sounded guilty, and based on how enraptured he was with Olivia's dancing, Robin had a good guess as to why.

"Well, what did you come out here for?" Robin asked in an attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Not purely to find me, I hope?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Chrom smiled. "I finished up my business with the Khans, helped settle some stuff about Plegia's future - which you were supposed to be present for - and thought I would take a look around the field, try to find you, maybe catch a dance from Olivia, do some other stuff…"

"Oh, gods, I missed that meeting!?" Robin sprang to attention, as though he would still be able to reach the fort in which they had held the meeting in time. He quickly realised his folly and misconduct, and settled down in his own quiet form of reservation.

"First of all, yes you did, and second of all, relax," Chrom lightly scolded him. "I handled things perfectly fine on my own while you were out here creeping."

"I wasn't-" Robin began to refute him before giving a frustrated sigh and deciding to ignore his ridicule. "Anything else that'll shape the course of history that I've missed?"

"Not yet, I don't think," Chrom said, again losing focus on Robin as his gaze shifted away. "I think I'll ask Olivia to marry me, though."

Robin froze for a long second before letting out a quick laugh. He didn't like how nervous it sounded. "Damn, Chrom, I didn't know that you could make jokes like that. Good one!"

"I'm being serious," Chrom said, his tone carrying his gravity in full.

Robin's eyes slowly widened and his mouth fell open, but he swiftly managed to retain some air of composure, letting out another uneven, forced laugh. "Ha, seriously, good one! Now go back to Sumia and repent for what you're saying. Seriously. She isn't aggressive, but she'll probably kick your ass. Or Sully will."

Sumia isn't- she and I aren't like that. We aren't even close to being together," Chrom said, emphasising his words a little more than Robin felt was necessary, as though he was trying to convince himself as much as Robin.

"She's literally fallen head over heels for you multiple times," Robin reminded Chrom, still refusing to believe that the noble was being at all serious about his proposal.

"She and I haven't talked once since she saved me at the Feroxi border," Chrom said. "Am I supposed to act as though we're in love because of that? That we're fated to be together? My people need a queen in these uncertain times, and I believe that person could be Olivia as much as anyone else."

"So you're going to marry Olivia on the spot!?" Robin asked in horror as he finally began to accept Chrom's lack of levity. "Have you spoken to her once!? Do you know anything about her other than the fact that she can dance!?"

"I know that she's shy, and would hate how loudly you've begun to shout," Chrom said calmly, effectively forcing Robin to adopt a quiet demeanor. "Listen, I don't know if she'll say yes. Odds are she won't; we've only truly met within the past day. I merely want to try, and I felt as though I should tell you."

Robin brought a hand to the bridge of his nose as he struggled to find any form of logic in what Chrom was saying. "Why would you…? Okay, why don't you try asking her out before asking for her hand in marriage? Baby steps, you know?"

Chrom blinked and brought a hand to his chin. "Hm… I hadn't considered that."

"What?" Robin's mouth fell open in bewilderment. "Are you serious? You only considered marriage?"

"Well, dating slipped my mind, at the very least," Chrom shrugged, and Robin's mouth fell open further. "What? Don't look at me like that. You know as well as I do that once you've talked to someone enough, it's like you're already married."

Robin's expression reached the height of its dumbfounded surprise. "Except that it's nothing like that! Talking to someone a few times doesn't mean either of you loves the other."

"Are you sure?" Chrom asked in genuine confusion. "I always thought that after, say, three or four conversations, any bond you had was as sacred as marriage. Am I wrong?"

Robin somehow found the willpower to close his mouth. "I don't want to know what you think of our relationship if that's the case," he mumbled, "and yeah, you're wrong. Absurdly so."

"Hm. I guess you learn something new every day," Chrom remarked, and all of the perplexion in his face instantly faded into nothingness, leaving Robin as bewildered as he had been moments ago.

"So, you're going to go ask Olivia out," Robin stated, then pointedly added, "and not marry her?"

"Possibly," Chrom said. "I wanted to talk to you first, though. I've seen how you look at her. If I'm in any position to marry- er, ask her out, then so are you. We need to decide which of us gets to propo- ask her out first."

Robin stared at Chrom for a long second before slowly shaking his head from side to side. "This conversation is somehow getting more uncomfortable with every passing second…"

Even so, Chrom was right. Robin was already beginning to fall for Olivia, albeit in what was admittedly one of the creepiest ways possible, though Chrom's desire for a rapid marriage wasn't exactly the pinnacle of chivalry. Then again, this was Chrom. If anyone would be an excellent husband, Robin knew it would be the future Exalt.

Robin was therefore placed at an impasse. Olivia was stunning, and what little time he had spent with her had been precious. Had he not already passed the limit of what he considered acceptable, he would have been so bold as to call her the most wonderful and beautiful person he had ever met.

At the same time, though, Chrom was his closest friend, and was also swiftly falling for the dancer. Both of them wanted little more than a chance to be with her. Robin would do nothing to harm their relationship, and he knew that Chrom was much the same way; that was why he was being so open about his feelings. No matter what happened, they both desired to make efforts to woo her, and neither wanted said efforts to drive them apart.

Robin sighed, and in that instant thought up what he believed to be the most impartial method of choice possible, and so produced from his cloak a single gold piece. "How about we flip a coin? You call it, and whoever wins gets to ask her out first. If she says no to the winner, the loser asks, and we can go from there."

Chrom quickly formed a smile as he clapped a firm hand on Robin's shoulder. "Ha, as practical and simple a solution as I should expect from you. Sounds good! I'll call… hm…"

"My strategies are precise, elegant, and complex," Robin said with a hint of indignation. "I'm not simple. If anything, I'm offended."

"Enough, Robin; you're disturbing my decision making process," Chrom dismissed his complaints with the wave of one hand.

Robin blinked, glanced to the coin resting in his palm and the simple insignia of Ylisse shining up from its surface, and then frowned at Chrom. "It's a coin. A fifty-fifty chance. What's so hard about picking one of two random outcomes?"

"What if I get it wrong?" Chrom asked as he continued to hesitate. "If I do that, then I know that I could've picked the other option, and that knowledge will eat away at me. There has to be a way to know which side will land up."

Robin blinked again and deepened his frown. "Chrom, it's random chance. I know you're not this dense. Pick a godsdamn side."

"I really don't want to mess this up," Chrom sighed with such derision that Robin knew the royal was aware of his folly. "Also, I'll have you know that I was top of the class in my private tutoring lessons," he followed up in a pleasantly joking tone.

"Yeah, and you probably proposed to each of your tutors on day four," Robin joked in turn. He didn't like how the only response he received was a dismissive shrug.

"Okay, I can do this. I choose heads," Chrom finally resolved himself, and nodded for Robin to flip the coin.

Robin's gaze wandered over to Olivia, where she was continuing to dance beautifully despite a lack of an immediate audience. He held his hand motionless. There was no way he could risk a potential future with her on the flip of a coin.

"I… I can't do it," he admitted. "This… I can't… you're right, what if I lose? This is insane, to risk so much on so little."

"You're the genius who came up with the idea," Chrom reminded him, and nodded again for the coin to be flipped. "Come on, we've already gotten this far. All that's left is to see who wins."

Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, knowing that Chrom was right. Their path forward had already been decided, and there was no reason or means to change that.

He opened his eyes, his gaze still directed toward Olivia, and from the corner of his eye caught a familiar flash of blue. His hand began to autonomously carry out the motion of flipping the coin as he turned his head and focused his gaze, honing in on the edge of a small forest halfway across the battlefield.

A person was stood in the shade of that forest's trees, the blue of their hair, clothing, and armour distinguishing them from their surroundings despite their attempts to remain subtly concealed. As Chrom was at his side, Robin knew that the the distant blue figure could he none other than Marth, the enigmatic swordswoman who had done so much to bolster his strategies and protect the people for whom he cared so deeply.

She had apparently been present for their final battle against Gangrel, as Robin should have expected from her remarkable diligence. He felt almost guilty that he hadn't considered her in his planning. Though she was at the end of his sight, Robin couldn't help but interpret the barely visible indecisive motions she made as being signs of a distinct lack of comfort.

Had she been harmed in the battle? Was she dissatisfied with his performance, considering the retreat he had called after failing to rescue Emmeryn? Was there possibly something more troubling her? No matter what it was, Robin wanted to know, and he wanted to work to rectify any mistake he had made or improve any situation he could. She deserved as such, after all the help she had provided him and the Shepherds.

"Well? Who won?" Chrom broke Robin from his thoughts, pulling the grandmaster's gaze back to where his hand had long ago automatically closed around the flipped coin. The prince was eagerly hanging on the inevitable reveal, whereas Robin was left to stare blankly at his hand, then at Olivia, and then at Marth. His mind was made up before he had begun to speak.

"You know what? Why don't you go talk to her first," Robin said, depositing the coin into his pocket without checking its face. "I think I still have a bit of business to attend. Consider this my thanks for being such a close friend, and for covering where I've slipped up."

Chrom raised an eyebrow, waiting for a correction and coin reveal that never came. His face then lit up in a radiant smile as he accepted what Robin was saying as truth. He turned toward Olivia, still smiling, and immediately began to jog in her direction.

"My thanks, Robin!" he shouted back to his friend as he began his eager journey. "I promise, I'll make you proud! Or make you hate me for doing so well! Same thing!"

Robin smiled back at Chrom and waved him on his way, his grin paling in comparison to the soon-to-be-Exalt's. To abandon any reasonable chance of pursuing Olivia romantically stung, but Robin knew already that he had made the right choice, provided that he was able to do anything to brighten Marth's day. He felt not only compelled but surprisingly happy to do so.

As Chrom reached Olivia and began as pleasant of a conversation as he could manage, Robin approached Marth, hoping to offset her typically dour expression with an easy smile. He stopped paying attention to his friend and new recruit in order to focus solely on interacting with Marth - he felt as though this was a conversation he didn't want to mess up. Every interaction with her was like that.

Marth visibly tensed as Robin neared her, taking a deep breath to force herself to be calm. Robin continued to smile in an attempt to help her along. He could see on her no visible wounds, but he kept a hand in place over the vulneraries under his cloak, in case any healing was proven to be necessary.

"What are you doing here, Robin?" Marth asked as soon as he had arrived at the forest, her voice cold and unforgiving.

Robin's smile tightened as he strained to keep it in place, her forceful tension threatening his own serenity. "I noticed you here and thought I should check in. Is everything okay?"

"You noticed me?" Marth asked, flinching as though the both of them had made an absurdly grave mistake. She instinctively took a half step backward into the forest, casting inconsistent shadows over herself that did nothing to hide her presence.

"Everything you're wearing is blue," Robin said, making it obvious how simple a task it is to spot her. She frowned deeply, and Robin quickly raised his hands to placate any poor reaction to her fashion she may be having. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing; you pull it off incredibly well. It's just not exactly difficult to miss, y'know?"

"I suppose I haven't updated my palette since I was a child. Your advice is noted," Marth said with a curt nod. "Now, why don't you continue on your way and propose to Olivia?"

"Ah, haha, so you saw that, huh?" Robin laughed sheepishly. "I swear to Naga, I wasn't trying to look creepy. Besides, Chrom and I flipped a c- er, we came to a gentlemanly agreement that he would be able to speak with her before me."

Marth cocked her head to the side and regarded Robin curiously. "Is that what you two were doing?"

"Er, yeah," Robin said, retaining his sheepishness. "Out of curiosity, how long were you watching me?"

"Far longer than you've been watching me."

Robin's smile tightened. "Right. Anyway, you aren't wounded? You don't need a vulnerary, or anything else?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Marth dismissed his concern, her gaze having wandered over to Chrom and Olivia.

"Good," Robin said passively, his gaze following hers and locking in place on Chrom. "You know that no one is foolish enough to marry someone they've only just met, right? Actually, now that I've said that, Chrom's probably going to walk back here in a full suit and tie…"

"I had thought you infatuated enough with Olivia to violate such a social norm," Marth said plainly. "Regardless, and this may not mean much to you now, but you have my blessing."

"Wait, you were being serious about that? You really thought I would propose to Olivia?" Robin asked as he grew steadily more uneasy. "That wasn't supposed to be a joke?"

"I rarely make jokes," Marth said. Her gaze hadn't left Chrom and Olivia. "Time spent on a battlefield rarely allows for such levity."

"Your entire life isn't a battlefield, though. You have to relax once in a while," Robin suggested. "The war with Plegia is over. Why not join us for some celebration? The Shepherds would be glad to see you. Hell, after everything you've done to help us, it'd feel wrong to not thank you in some way."

Marth's focused never wavered. Robin was uncertain whether his proposal had registered with her. The grandmaster retraced her gaze once more to where Chrom and Olivia were continuing to speak, seemingly happily. Even from a distance, the two could be beard laughing merrily, and Robin knew that their meeting was going perfectly.

A small, genuinely happy smile crept onto his face. "You know, even if I'm the one with your blessing, I'll stop at nothing to get those two together."

"Do you not love Olivia?" Marth asked, her voice tinged with equal parts surprise and, though Robin couldn't yet understand why, fear.

"I don't know about that, but I can see Chrom's dumb smile from here," Robin sighed. "If he's happy, then I'm happier. Gods, if that idiot wasn't so lovable…"

"How much do you care about Chrom?" Marth asked, her tone having shifted completely into a cold seriousness. The stiff posture Robin had worked to ease away returned in full.

Robin too instinctively stiffened, but calmed soon after. There was no reason to be on edge around Marth. Not when he was trying so hard for her to feel at ease. Nevertheless, the thought that he may say the tiniest thing wrong near her kept his mind definitively in check.

"There are times where I feel as though I love him more than myself," Robin admitted slowly, hoping that Marth would favour his honesty. He then hastily added, "I mean that in a completely platonic way, you know. One hundred percent."

Marth tore her gaze away from Chrom in order to once more regard Robin curiously.

"...Ninety-nine percent," Robin corrected himself quietly as he hid his gaze from Marth. Her expression didn't change.

"Yet you call him an idiot. There exists a part of you that hates him," Marth nodded, confirming her own words as they were spoken.

Robin stared at her blankly. "You really have no experience with humour, do you?" he remarked. "Chrom is far too endearing to hate. I say he's an idiot because he's dense, and… because I don't really know how to properly voice how much I like him, childish as that may sound."

"Yet you have no difficulty in speaking your mind here," Marth remarked, her tone remaining accusatory.

"Because you seem like a trustworthy person," Robin said, his gaze still failing to meet hers. Somehow, saying that aloud felt more personal than he had anticipated.

Marth fell silent, and Robin couldn't help but risk a glance in her direction. Her expression was a mask, but Robin could tell that she was confused, if not locked in some greater unseen turmoil.

"Can you promise me something, Robin?" she broached after a long silence.

"What is it?"

"If the time ever comes to choose between saving Chrom and anything else, no matter what it may be, choose to save Chrom."

"I promise," Robin said without a hint of hesitation or doubt.

Marth blinked, taken aback by the ease of his acceptance. "The choices you must make will be far more difficult than you could possibly anticipate. You may have to choose between lives, or worse."

"I sincerely vow to do everything in my power make sure Chrom lives a happy, healthy, long life, no matter what," Robin said. "I'm prepared to lose battles to win a war. Figuratively speaking, of course - I'll do everything I can to ensure that this peace we've earned lasts lifetimes."

Marth winced and returned her gaze to the distant figure of Chrom. "More wars loom on the horizon. Ones that will be more brutal, against fiercer opponents, and with greater risk than you fathom. You need to be ready for them."

Robin's smile faded entirely as he solemnly accepted her warning. "I understand. Thank you for the notice. Out of curiosity, though, why tell me? Why not the Exalt-to-be?" he gestured toward Chrom, who was laughing happily with Olivia.

"He has a very idiotic smile on his face," Marth remarked, the smallest of grins gracing her features. "Telling him now would destroy that, and he deserves some happiness. Also," her smile grew imperceptibly brighter, "you seem like a trustworthy person."

Robin's smile returned as his gaze wandered back to Chrom, having lingered for too long on Marth's unusually warm features. "Will you help us again when the time comes?"

"Whenever I'm able," Marth nodded.

The smile on Robin's face became as warm as it had ever been.

It then faded in an instant as Chrom dropped to one knee before an embarrassed but ecstatic Olivia.

"Oh gods, he's not actually going to… no, there's no way," Robin muttered, dumbfounded.

"Hm? What is it, Robin?" Marth asked, seemingly yet to understand what was happening across the battlefield.

Robin buried his face in his hands. "He's such an idiot. I can't believe that he would try to get married a day after meeting his partner…"

"What?" Marth asked, realisation dawning on her features as any trace of a smile vanished from her lips. "No… this isn't… no!"

Robin let out a long groan that turned into a sigh midway. "As long as they're happy, right?"

Marth said nothing as an unmatchable grimace took control of her expression.

* * *

Morgan stared at Robin across his desk, her arms crossed and face having long since set into a frown. She had appeared at the grandmaster study demanding an explanation of the supposed coin flip to meet Olivia, and much to her surprise, Robin had been fully willing to share the tale, going so far as to stop his work in order to dramatise the retelling.

"They did not get married immediately after that battle," Morgan said coldly.

"Okay, I'm exaggerating, but you'd be surprised by how little," Robin confirmed her suspicion. "Chrom really did start a proposal, but he somehow managed to drag it out over a week and a half."

"You had a chance to butt in, to make a move on Olivia and profess your love. You didn't take it," Morgan said, her voice remaining cold.

"Not at the time of the coin flip, or any time after," Robin nodded.

"Because of Lucina."

"Because I didn't want to," Robin corrected her. "I chose to speak with Lucina once, yes, and that allowed me to see that Chrom and Olivia made one another unreasonably happy. That was enough for me to realise that they were perfect together."

"You still love Olivia," Morgan asserted, any and all other options having been automatically dismissed from her mind. "You never had the chance to tell her how you feel."

Robin shook his head, a strong frown forming on his face. "You're wrong. I hold no romantic feelings toward her."

"First of all, you're a jerk for trying to decide something so monumental with a process as moronic as a coin flip," Morgan said, though her voice had lost some of its edge. "Second, why are you trying so hard to disregard reality? Your life could be better than what you seem to understand."

"Or perhaps this was the path we all needed to take," Robin suggested without missing a beat.

Morgan narrowed her gaze as she attempted to understand Robin's words. "What do you mean?"

"There are an uncountable number of factors that could compound to the eventual destruction of the world," Robin calmly explained. "It's possible that my marriage to Olivia and all that followed were catalysts to that destruction. If anything, recent events prove that suspicion believable."

Morgan blinked before her jaw slowly began to drop. "You… you're blaming me for Grima - no, you destroying the world!?"

Robin opened his mouth to speak, but held silent as he carefully weighed his options. His gaze then hardened beyond anything Morgan had seen before. "Yes, Morgan. I'm blaming you, among many other things."

Morgan's mouth remained open as a wave of fury overtook her tired mind. "Wow, you… you're an asshole."

"Your idealisation of me is baseless and idiotic," Robin said, "and this time, I don't mean that in an endearing way."

With a shake of her head, Morgan backed out of Robin's room, her frown deepening into a hard set scowl. "Lucina could do better than you," she snarled before slamming the door shut.

Robin blinked, in part taken aback by the ferocity Morgan had so easily conveyed to him. He had expected her to respond negatively, but worried that he had pushed her too far.

With a deep sigh, Robin planted his head on his desk. It was clear to see that there would be inevitable fallout for his actions.

Outside of his study, Morgan seethed in a barely subdued rage, her hands clenching into fists as she grit her teeth at the door she had closed. Had she always been so blind to how monstrously her father could act? Was he more tainted by the horrors of this time than she had imagined?

Morgan believed both possibilities to be true. Her father was a worse person than she had falsely remembered, and he had been warped by all that had occurred in this changed timeline. The same was true for Lucina. Both were monsters, and neither deserved their happiness.

The young tactician spun on her heel as her fury calmed into a cold, calculating rage. She knew now beyond a doubt that every last shred of their happiness deserved to be torn apart. The prospect of reclaiming her lost family was nothing but an added bonus to her new mission.

Morgan began to wordlessly advance through the castle's warmly lit halls. She knew it wouldn't be difficult to find someone who had ruined her chance at her greatest future - and that it would be little challenge to ruin them.

* * *

 **Would you believe me if I said that I had intended for this chapter to have been out by August of last year and not January? Well that's what i had intended. It took me four months to write about half of this chapter for no reason other than my own progressively worsening time management and increasing responsibilities.**

 **New chapters might not be out for a little while either. I'll try to get stuff done, but again, terrible time management. Sorry for the wait.**

 **Regardless, thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Morgan tapped her forefinger against the baggy sleeve of her tactician's robe. Part of her was tempted to tear off the excess clothing and set it to flame, and she would have fine so already had she not withheld the smallest ray of hope that her family may yet be reunited. The few minutes of waiting to which she was currently subjected was nothing short of torment to her frayed mentality.

She stood impatiently before the doors to the royal throne room. Her legs had guided her away from the grandmaster study autonomously. Frederick had met her without issue, though he had been flabbergasted by her appearance.

After Morgan had been left to fume for too long of a time, the grand doors of the throne room swung open. Frederick met her enraged stare with an unimpressed frown.

"Count your blessings that Cordelia makes such thorough, swift reports," said the knight attendant. "Lord Chrom and Lady Olivia are willing to meet with you, miss Morgan."

"I'd have gotten in anyway," Morgan pushed past Frederick, only to be caught by the shoulder before she could take another step.

"You would do well to calm yourself before standing before my lieges," Frederick gripped her shoulder tight. "I will not hesitate to remove you from this room, castle, or if need be, the halidom."

Morgan glared at Frederick. Without a word, she wrested her arm away from his grip and continued toward the room's two tall thrones.

Much of the throne room was unremarkable, bearing little gaudiness. Simple stone floors donned with an artisan carpet led to walls with small colourless windows and solitary blue drapes. Only the twin marble thrones standing as titans at the head of the room suggested the presence of royalty. Even their inhabitants seemed common, both dressed in nightwear with no crowns or elegant robes. Frederick was the single soul present to guard them.

"Ah, you must be Morgan!" Chrom smiled brightly, only to then yawn. "I must admit, I hadn't expected to hear of Robin having a time travelling child, let alone meet her at the first light of dawn! To what do we owe the honour?"

Morgan angled her head toward one of the room's windows. Sunlight was beginning to shine over Ylisstol. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't attempt to calculate the time that had elapsed since her arrival.

"Greetings," Olivia smiled warmly through a yawn of her own.

Morgan was shocked to feel nothing when she set her gaze upon the beautiful queen. No memories of her past resurfaced. She felt no love in her heart at the sight of her supposed mother. She shook her head, dispelling her lack of emotion, before breathing deep and addressing the two royals.

"I'm here because of you, Olivia," Morgan said, her eyes hardening. "As you know, Robin is one half of my parenthood. You are the other. I am your daughter."

Olivia's eyebrows shot up her forehead as her mouth formed a silent O. Morgan couldn't help but smile at the dancer's surprise. She was already proving easy to manipulate.

Morgan blinked and caught herself at her thoughts. Was she manipulating her own mother? Was she manipulating everyone? Surely it wouldn't matter if they all end up happier, right?

"Ah, so Robin won that coin flip," Chrom commented, his voice in no way sharing Olivia's surprise. "Thank the gods he chickened out. Heh, aren't I lucky?"

Olivia hmphed in her throne next to him. "That coin flip was the dumbest thing you've ever done, and I was there when you charged solo against Walhart. How could you risk our happiness like that?"

"I told you: I'm a fool. It's why I'm so lovable," Chrom smiled, causing Olivia to pout, unable to refute him.

"It wasn't luck that caused Robin to flake," Morgan informed them. Olivia had overcome her shock faster than anticipated. She had to take control of the conversation again. "He wanted to speak to Lucina. Now, they're… whatever you would call them, because of that day. Because of Lucina."

"I hope they're called fiancés by now," Olivia mused, throwing Morgan into her own bout of horrified surprise.

"With the number of times they've talked to one another out of battle, I should hope so!" Chrom laughed, worsening Morgan's state.

"She- Lucina's your daughter!" Morgan spat at Chrom. "How are you okay with her marrying your friend!?"

"Oh, I was going to murder him," Chrom said, his tone casual. "Olivia made me promise to wait until after we had defeated Valm, then Grima. During that time, she kept sleuthing about their relationship, and would share everything with me. That wore me down a lot and warmed me up to them being a couple. They're rather cute together."

"Quite," Frederick added from far behind Morgan. The young tactician spun on him, bearing witness to a genuine smile that sickened her before she returned her attention to the two royals.

"I wish they would get on with it already, though," Olivia sighed. "They still act like they're in the most awkward phase. I hope marriage stops that - I want to do more couples stuff with them already!"

"The castle staff has been prepared for your 'double date' for the past ten months, Lady Olivia," Frederick reminded her happily.

Morgan shot the great knight an enraged glare. She could swear by his infuriating smile that he was chiming in solely to mess with her.

"Do you still see Lucina as your daughter?" Morgan asked in an attempt to bring the conversation back on her intended track.

Chrom shrugged and flashed an exaggerated frown. "Not really. I mean, she dresses in a lot of blue, but aside from that? Eh."

"She has the Mark of Naga. She can wield Falchion. She's your blood relative!" Morgan reminded him with a shout.

"Eh," Chrom shrugged again. "She's travelled through time to fight an undead, world destroying, continent-sized dragon. I think she's more than capable of controlling her own relationships."

"Time travel does make these things strange," Olivia mused. "I mean, is this Chrom the same as any other Chrom? Is he really Lucina's father? Though Lucina is a fine woman, I cannot claim to have raised her, nor can he. Would the Chrom of her time not a have a stronger claim to the role of fatherhood?"

"Yet the idiot beside you has a claim nonetheless," Morgan asserted. Chrom begrudgingly nodded along with her statement before taking silent offence.

"Does he, though?" Olivia asked. "If so, it's in name alone. Lucina has memories of a Chrom, yes, but this Chrom has no memories of her. The relationship you seek would be one-sided."

Morgan narrowed her gaze on Olivia. "Why are you so intent on defending this?"

"Have you seen how cute Robin and Lucina are together?" Olivia gushed. "They're the most adorable thing I've ever seen! Of course I'd want them to prosper!"

Morgan glared at Olivia. For the moment, she saw the queen as a cruel adversary, and in no way as the mother she had intended to love. Her lack of memories about the woman greatly aided that feeling.

"So, you want your parents back, and blame Lucina for Robin and Olivia not getting together," Chrom scratched his chin. "Am I getting all of that right?"

"More or less," Morgan crossed her arms without tearing her glare away from Olivia.

"Doesn't that mean your time travel was a success, though?" Chrom asked. "Your goal was to change the past. I'd say this is quite the change."

"Gods, you sound like Robin," Morgan groaned.

"Did he reach that same conclusion?" Chrom asked.

"Kind of," Morgan waved one of her hands as she tried to rationalise what the grandmaster had said. "Robin blamed me for Grima destroying the world. He was an ass about it, too."

"Perhaps he was trying to drive you away, so that you would no longer consider him your father?" Olivia suggested. "That's the most logical conclusion I can reason out."

"Obviously. Only an idiot couldn't understand that," Morgan said, using her words to hide her surprise. That line of reasoning was more sensible than anything she had considered. Her resentment of Olivia grew as a result.

"You're a rather harsh person, aren't you?" Olivia remarked.

"You raised me well," Morgan sneered.

"I never raised you," Olivia laughed softly as if to taunt her. "Come to think of it, you're an amnesiac, no? How do you know that another me was your mother?"

Morgan blinked, then fortified her expression. She could show no weakness. "I don't need to explain any such thing to you."

"Ah, so you have your eyes set on the throne," Frederick chimed in. "Claiming to be of royal lineage is a common offense. Considering Lucina's more substantial proof of lineage, odd as it may be, you would be incapable of becoming queen unless your heritage superseded hers. Claiming a direct relationship to Olivia may yet grant you some position in the royal court. A clever ploy, albeit a transparent one."

"What? No!" Morgan shouted at the knight. "My motives are in no way selfish!"

"Is shattering relationships to build your own not selfish?" Chrom wondered aloud without desire for an answer.

Morgan spun on the Exalt and glared through him. She in no way wanted to face the inkling of doubt his words stirred within her.

"Now, Morgan, we're not trying to doubt you," Olivia raised her hands to placate the tactician. "Your claims are as valid as any other. I'm merely trying to prove a point."

"That being?" Morgan asked, reluctant to give Olivia more time to speak but angry enough to do so nonetheless.

"Relationships are fickle, and can be interpreted differently by different people," Olivia explained. "Someone you love may not love you back. You may see someone as a parental figure who would rather be a friend. No one in those situations is in the wrong."

"However, to force any single interpretation to be correct would be wrong," Chrom finished for her. "To pick a side and assert it as the sole truth is foolish. You cannot alter the emotions of people in such a manner."

"I don't care!" Morgan yelled. "All I want is my family back! Is that so wrong!?"

"No - that's my point," Olivia continued to explain. "You can want for a family as you desire. To harm the relationships of others to that end is where you come to be in the wrong."

Morgan stared at Olivia and took a long, deliberate breath. She hated how much sense the queen was making. She hated the woman herself.

"Would you like to hear the story of how we found them to be a couple?" Olivia smiled, catching Morgan off guard. "Robin and Lucina, I mean."

Morgan blinked and shook her head. "No. Of course not. Why the hell would I want to hear that?"

* * *

Lucina brushed aside the flap to the Shepherds' command tent and stepped inside. Their war against the Valmese empire had been hard fought, but it was finally over. The Shepherds would have a few short days of rest before they needed to return to Ylisse and address matters in Plegia.

Robin glanced up from a document as Lucina entered, his expression brightening at her presence. He stepped back from the table he had hunched over, shrouded as it was in familiar maps and battle strategies, to greet her.

"I'm glad you could make it, Lucina," he pulled her into a tight embrace that ended as soon as it had begun. Its brevity in no way depreciated its warmth.

"For you, I'll always have time," Lucina returned his smile.

Robin's smile grew, but failed to hide his small blush. "Er, right. Anyway, I think I've devised a general strategy for what comes next, should conflict prove inevitable. I need a bit of help to revise it, though."

"Of course. I'll lend whatever aid I am capable," said Lucina. She followed him to the strategy table and the parchment he had lain across its surface. Paragraphs of ink notes were scrawled into every space available.

"I'm honestly not a hundred percent certain of how to handle this. Regardless, I've done what I can," said Robin.

Lucina picked up and glanced over one of Robin's many papers before addressing him, "Surely you have boundless experience you can draw upon? This is not much different than any number of past trials you've faced, no?"

"I'm glad you think so highly of me," Robin laughed but shook his head. "Sadly, this is in a different league than what I usually handle."

Lucina hummed to herself and set down the paper she had examined. "As an aside, I'm glad that I am able to discuss these matters with you. I can't imagine doing this with anyone else."

"We're going to have to tell Chrom and Olivia, though," Robin said. "They more than anyone deserve to know."

Lucina nodded and held her gaze low, away from Robin. "I am well aware. Do your plans cover this?"

"That's one of the matters on which I require your aid," the grandmaster admitted.

"I see," Lucina closed her eyes for a long moment. When she opened them again, they blazed with a familiar determination none could overcome. "We should notify them as soon as we finish here, then. All should be well once these plans are finalised."

"My apologies, but I will likely take quite some time to finish, especially now that I can receive your feedback," Robin said.

Lucina nodded and began to review another document. "I understand. I had no intentions of finishing swiftly, either - the night is young, and I would like to be as thorough as possible."

Something unnatural rustled outside of the strategy tent, giving both Robin and Lucina reason to pause. No one decided to make their presence known, and so the two resumed speaking.

"Now, where to begin," Robin started over with a sigh.

"You appear to cover each potential outcome with great precision," noted Lucina as she swept her hand above his scattered pages of work. "Why don't we follow suit, and regard each scenario as an individual?"

"Right. That's only logical," Robin nodded. He reached for one if his preliminary plans but held silent as he stared at the page. Then, with a shake of his head, he turned once more to Lucina. "I'm willing to stand with you every step of the way, Lucina. But, what if the others aren't so supportive?"

"You think Chrom may disapprove?" Lucina tilted her head as she tried to follow his thoughts.

"Chrom, Olivia, the Shepherds, everyone," Robin said. "We've dragged them through a lot already. This is more than ever before, and it's something I'm not certain they'll all be able to handle."

Lucina was silent for a long moment before she nodded. "That's fine. I share your sentiment - I'll be with you every step of the way. Even if we have no support, you and I will be capable of attaining any goal we set."

Robin blinked, then broke into a wide smile. "Such an outcome would be beyond difficult, but I believe you. Thank you, Lucina; I feel as though you always know what to say."

"Likewise," Lucina returned his smile. "Now then, shall we begin? There's much work to be done."

* * *

Morgan held her gaze on the two royals before her in silence. She then realised that Olivia had finished her recounting, and blinked several times. "Is- is that it? Are you done?"

"Chrom and I were eavesdropping on them, our ears pressed against the side of the tent," Olivia said. "We were almost discovered once already during their conversation. I had to pull Chrom away before he exposed us both again."

"I would have done no such thing!" Chrom scoffed.

"He's always been very supportive of Robin, and of Lucina - of everyone, really," Olivia explained. "Had I not forced him away when I had, he would have burst into the tent, tears streaming down his face, and he would have torn off our own wedding bands to throw at those two lovebirds."

"I do recall milord weeping for an inordinate amount of time that evening," Frederick added with an out of place smile. "I had believed it to be due to the thrashing he had received from Walhart, but this is a most sensible revelation."

Morgan's expression devolved into a familiar scowl. "Wow. That's gotta be the most useless flashback I've yet had the displeasure of hearing."

Olivia frowned, "Do you not now better understand the circumstances of their relationship? The love they share, or how they're willing to stand together despite the wills of others?"

Morgan furrowed her brow and shook her head. "What are you on about? Robin and Lucina were discussing battle strategy, not… whatever you're thinking."

"Battle strategy? Are you serious?" Chrom snorted. "The words they shared were as romantically charged as my marriage vows! Could you not feel the tension of forlorn love dripping from every syllable?"

"Naga, there's no way I'm having more than three conversations with you," Morgan remarked, her voice wooden. "You have a problem."

"We are all well aware," Frederick spoke to Morgan, his tone serious. "I assure you, nothing ill shall arise from milord's irregular romantic proclivity."

"Frederick!" Chrom gasped, mortified. He then sank into his throne with a defeated sigh and murmurs about a heart full of love.

"I must say, I hadn't considered the possibility that Robin and Lucina were discussing battle strategy and nothing more," Olivia remarked. "It would certainly fit both of their personalities to do so. And to miss the obvious innuendos they shared."

"It sounded as though Lucina told Robin of Grima, of the final threat the Shepherds would need to face," Morgan said. "There was no romance in their words. Only business. You misinterpreted them, and have constructed an image of their relationship upon falsehoods."

"If I may be of assistance?" Frederick spoke up again, an annoying smile manifesting on his face at the edge of Morgan's vision. "Robin and Lucina are both diligent, efficient workers. The strategies for opposing the Grimleal, our next campaign at the time, were first made known over a week later. Such a delay is uncharacteristic for those two - unless, of course," his smile grew infuriating, "their nights were preoccupied with… less appropriate acts."

Morgan turned her glare on Frederick. "What are you suggesting? Are you trying to start something here?"

"You pose a challenge to lord Chrom's happiness," smiled Frederick. "I address any and all such challenges which would impede milord's livelihood."

Olivia hummed in thought, returning Morgan's annoyance to her person. "Were your claim true, Morgan, that would imply that Lucina trusted Robin more than anyone else in the Shepherds. Her profession of such is irrefutable. They were closer than mere colleagues at that point regardless of their meeting's focus. If not, why would Lucina not have met with Chrom and I, or another time traveller like herself?"

Morgan's mouth twitched into a frown at Olivia's disposition. "The limited memories I bear of you show to me a frail, weak-willed woman, one who would break into tears at slights perceived in her mind. Why do you now challenge me with such conviction, Olivia? You should have run off sobbing the moment I informed you of my heritage!"

"I'm shocked you have such a dreadful perception of me, Morgan," Olivia raised an eyebrow, though she seemed no closer to an emotional breakdown. "I have worked much to overcome my frailty. Walks through the city at Chrom's side, visits around the nation, noble addresses… though I am not cold hearted, I would never break into tears when defending the love of dear friends. To do so would be to fail them and the relationship they have so caringly cultivated."

"Of all the women Robin could have wed, I'm disappointed that he fell to you," Morgan sneered.

Rather than revolt and embrace the embarrassed shock Morgan had desired, Olivia smiled. "You hate me. I'm glad. There will be no love lost between us, Morgan, for I will never act as your mother. If you continue on this path you have set for yourself, I will oppose your every step with all that I am."

Morgan allowed her own shock to become known as her jaw dropped open. She almost respected the spine Olivia had found for herself, were her mind not filled with boundless resentment.

"Please, correct me if my claims are false," Olivia continued, "but you no longer see me as a mother yourself. I think I may have Robin to thank for that, in part."

Morgan overcame her shock in order to shake her head. "You're wrong, Olivia. Detest it as I may, you are my rightful mother. My stance on that fact will not change."

"You claim that, yet your own words betray you," Olivia said with a coy smile. "You have addressed me many times since we met. You have spoken of Robin, too. Yet you have never addressed either of us as mother or father - only as Olivia and Robin. We are not authority figures in your mind, but equals."

"What? That's not- I didn't…" Morgan started, only to find that she was incapable of forming words. Had she not called Olivia mother, or Robin father? She saw no warmth or caring - anything she wanted to be motherly - in Olivia, but she refused to accept that such a perception could alter her mannerisms.

"Why, you appear rather flustered," Frederick remarked with his same aggravating grin. "Perhaps you would like to take your leave, and have a long rest far from here?"

Morgan fumed for a long moment, then nodded. "That's a good idea, actually," she said, catching Frederick by surprise. "I can't think straight anymore. I'm tripping over my words. May we continue this discussion tomorrow, Olivia, Chrom?"

"Certainly," said Olivia without a moment of hesitation.

Chrom blinked at Morgan's tone, the young woman having grown somber after so many heated shouts. He then nodded to her, "Of course you may. If you have nowhere to rest, we will gladly offer bedding in the castle for your use."

"I'm afraid I'll have to take you up on that," Morgan said, though her voice was anything but remorseful.

"Might I guide you to your room?" Frederick swept an arm out past Morgan, toward the doors out to the castle halls.

Morgan turned to Frederick, her expression composed, and shook her head. "Don't worry. I'll find my way around. Besides, I don't want you anywhere near me."

With a pleasant smile, Morgan spun on her heel and exited the throne room. Her amnesia prevented her from recalling the location of the castle's guest rooms, but she would make do. She had no desire to rely any more than necessary on anyone in this strange reality in which she had awoken.

Frederick's gaze grew wary as he watched Morgan leave. Underneath her arrogance the girl bore a machiavellian wit, one he knew would cause immense trouble in the days to come. She was worse than Robin in that regard.

More than anything, Frederick felt for Morgan a foreign sense of pity. Without looking he knew that Chrom and Olivia felt much the same.

Frederick sighed, hung his head low, and followed after Morgan.

* * *

Morgan came to a halt along one of the castle's many near-identical walls. She sighed and rested her head against its surface, allowing her arms to hang limp. Her exhaustion was finally catching up to her. With it came a plethora of issues plaguing her addled mind.

Was she at all in the wrong for desiring the reunion of her family? Did it matter that she was prizing her relationships with her mother and father over those of her once closest friends? Her anger brewed hot inside her, but her mind failed to find an answer.

"I must say, you've gone in quite the erroneous direction to find lodging," Frederick's voice snapped Morgan out of her thoughts.

"You!" Morgan spat, for in that moment that was all her mind could think to say. "I told, I want none of your aid!"

"Yet you will receive it all the same," Frederick smiled and directed Morgan in the direction from which she had arrived. "Come with me. I will show you to a spare room near those of the Shepherds."

"Are you seriously pretending to help me?" Morgan snarled and moved nowhere. "You'd sooner lead me to a dungeon than a safe room!"

Frederick's smile twitched in place. "Your entire demeanour is quite antagonistic," he remarked. "I seek not to harm you, but to protect my lieges. I am not your enemy. None of us are."

"Yet none of you are my allies, either," said Morgan.

"And why would you need allies at this time, instead of friends?" Frederick asked. "Perhaps they are easier to manipulate? Better yet, may it be because you've formed an enemy for yourself where none exists, and seek to strike it down?"

Morgan's expression tightened on her face. "Lead me to a room or not. I have no desire to engage in petty smalltalk with you."

"Ah, but this talk is in no way small. Not for you," Frederick continued to smile as he ushered Morgan down the castle hall.

Within a few short minutes, Frederick had guided her to a spare room near the Shepherd quarters, true to his word. Morgan was somewhat surprised.

"I shall wake you in little over ten hours, should you not be awake by then yourself," said Frederick. "I believe you will need the rest. Chrom and Olivia will be prepared to meet with you whenever you desire."

Morgan was silent as she entered the guest room. She paused before closing its door behind her.

"Thank you," she murmured, then sealed herself inside the room's embrace, away from the world and people she wanted to despise.

* * *

 **Back when I first started this story, one of the major points of feedback I received was to include direct transitions into flashbacks, ie have a short passage describing the setting. I had already uploaded a chapter with a flashback by that point without a transition, and for whatever reason I decided to commit to that style instead of making the improvement. As this is the last flashback I have explicitly planned (though there may be more), I thought my stubbornness on the matter would be good to bring up now.**

 **Over a year has passed since I started writing this. I had originally expected to have the entire story finished in a few months. I am bad at planning. At this rate, it'll take another year to finish, but I'm really hoping that I can do better than that.**

 **There was a significant reason I wanted to have Morgan see Chrom and Olivia prior to this chapter, hence her and Inigo seeing them on a walk, but I no longer recall why. It was important, but apparently not important enough to put in my notes. I had kind of shoehorned in that scene in chapter 2 for payoff in this chapter and another one later (I think?). I tried to keep what I believe the intention was for that payoff, but again, I cannot recall and so it's been truncated and is likely not what I had first planned. That's the thrill of not planning properly, I guess.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Morgan found herself seated outside Robin's grandmaster office on a bench she had not known existed. She could not recall waking, nor could she recall falling asleep in the room to which Frederick had guided her. Her mind floated in a disorienting sea of uneasy malcontent.

"Even now you're indecisive?" asked Robin from the spot on the bench to her left. Morgan thought he was still in his office. She held no desire to look at him to confirm his presence.

"I… I'm not here," Morgan murmured. Her voice was too quiet to hear, yet she and Robin both listened.

"Of course you're not," replied Robin, "because you never left. Your memories stayed behind. How much else followed suit? Is your mind with you? Is your heart?"

Morgan cradled her head in her hands. She refused to look at Robin. "Please, stop. I don't want this."

"Why? Because you love me?" Robin asked, and Morgan knew he was holding back a laugh. "I have never, and will never, see you as my daughter. Do you think you forgot the number of times I said 'I love you?"

"I… I don't…" Morgan's grip on her head tightened. Her mind pulsed from inside her skull to match the pressure.

"You can't forget a memory you never had," said Robin. "A burden is never loved. A curse is never cause for joy. A petulant, selfish child is one better left forgotten."

Morgan's breath caught in her throat as she choked down a sob. Tears stung her eyes. She could feel them seeping through her gloves onto the skin of her hands. Her head continued to pound.

"Listen well," Robin spoke, his voice now coming from in front of Morgan's sealed eyes. "I hate you."

Morgan cried into her hands. She no longer bothered to hold down her sobs or abate her tears.

"That's insane!" Inigo gasped from Morgan's right side. Morgan spun her head to face him. In an instant her tears dried and her sobs quieted, as though they had never occurred.

"What? Inigo? When…?" Morgan asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

"This image of Robin you've built up, it's ridiculous!" exclaimed Inigo. "He's not perfect, and he isn't our father, but he's not evil. You need to understand that."

"The things he said, they hurt," Morgan whimpered.

"He's scared, Morgan. That's causing him to lash out, to act like he hates you," said Inigo. "He doesn't. None of us do. We're all concerned, and we don't know how to act in this kind of situation."

"Nothing he said was a lie, though," Morgan said. "I was in the world Grima destroyed. I'm part of the reason everything was awful. Even if he was scared, his words were rooted in truth."

"You don't know that," argued Inigo. "You started talking to him. That's good. Now get in there and keep going," he pointed to the grandmaster study. "Keep talking to him. You need to understand one another. Until then, you'll be enemies, and then maybe you will end up hating one another."

Morgan stared at the door to Robin's study. It eclipsed all else in her vision. "This is a dream," Morgan realised, "I'm dreaming. You're not real," she turned again to Inigo to find that she could no longer see him.

"You're scared too, aren't you?" Inigo observed, his formless voice laced with genuine sorrow. "Morgan, I… I'm sorry. I didn't notice. You felt afraid and alone, and I couldn't help. I'm so sorry."

Inigo leaned into Morgan and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He felt cold. Morgan shivered and leaned away from his lacking form.

"I'm sorry," Inigo repeated. "Please, know that I love you. We all do. We may not show it, or know how to, but we do. Robin and Lucina are no different."

"Inigo, I…" Morgan's voice cracked as she wove her arms around her brother, though she continued to lean away. "I… I hate you."

"To your own brother? How could you?" asked Cordelia from Morgan's left, where Robin had once sat.

"I'm not sure," remarked Morgan as she turned to face Cordelia, her sorrow forgotten. "It was easy. I thought I would struggle more, but I didn't."

Cordelia's brow furrowed in concern. "That's not a good sign. We may not be good at expressing it, but we do want to help you, Morgan. Like Inigo said, we don't know how to act. None of us have been in this situation before."

"But you aren't helping me," Morgan said. "Your views haven't changed. None of you have supported me as you've done Lucina or Robin."

Cordelia's worry was obvious upon her face. Morgan wondered if it was a worry for her or for the people she hated. "Can you blame us for not supporting you over the people to whom we've bonded for years?" asked Cordelia.

"Yes," Morgan answered without hesitation. "Why must you always cede to them? Why do you not express the smallest of doubts toward their love?"

"We can't and don't want to do that," Cordelia said. "We-"

"Stop," Morgan commanded with a raised hand, and Cordelia fell silent. Her eyes darted over nothing as they raced to connect different parts of her mind. "That's it. You don't go against them, because you can't. You're protecting them because you're aware of their relationship's fragility."

"This scheme you're trying to concoct will help no one, Morgan," Cordelia warned. "Lucina and Robin will be harmed. Inigo, who tried in earnest to support you, will blame you and himself. You will be alienated from the Shepherds."

Morgan was silent as she nodded over Cordelia's words. She returned her gaze to Robin's study and nodded a final time, "I'm okay with all of that. It feels easy to hate them."

"Go talk to Robin. You have to," Cordelia advised.

Morgan waved a hand through Cordelia's image, dispelling the Shepherd from her sight. She turned in the opposite direction to see Lucina seated next to her. She was expecting this one.

"You truly love Robin, don't you?" Morgan asked. She held her gaze on the door to the grandmaster study, not needing to see Lucina to understand her answers.

"I do," Lucina confirmed.

"And Robin truly loves you," Morgan continued.

"I do," the visage of Robin appeared on her other side. Morgan removed him with a closed strike of her fist against the bench.

"Morgan?" Lucina jumped in her seat from the tactician's unexpected attack.

"The Shepherds support you both, because they want to, and because they have to," Morgan kept speaking, ignoring Lucina's surprise.

Lucina blinked and, after a short pause, nodded. "I know not of what you speak in its entirety, but their support has been forthcoming."

A frown creased Morgan's features. "You harbour an instinctive doubt, one that caused you to reveal yourself as the daughter of Chrom."

Lucina heaved out a sigh and leaned forward on the bench, then clasped her hands in front of her face. "Indeed. However, I assure you that said instinct is decried by every fiber of my being. It's some unintended response, one I wish I never felt. If I hadn't revealed myself as the daughter of Chrom, then maybe none of this…" she trailed off with a sigh.

"No, it'd still happen," said Morgan, surprising Lucina. "I was the one who caused this. It was my inability to accept your love that caused our entire disagreement. Your love for Robin is true, the two of you are happy, your relationship is healthy… there's no way I'd be able to break you two apart."

Lucina blinked several times and raised her head to meet Morgan. "Are you saying…?"

"I'm not going to try to ruin your relationship," Morgan resolved. "I understand when a task is impossible. I must admit, I feel rather stupid for not having realised this sooner."

Lucina broke into a genuine smile at which Morgan did not dare to look. "Thank you, Morgan - and you're not stupid. The nervousness I felt at having you challenge me, the fear in my heart at thinking that you may hate me, they were unmatched. You're an incredible person, and I'm glad that I can call you my friend."

Morgan pushed herself off the bench and approached the grandmaster study. She placed her hand against the door and spoke into its surface, "when I woke up in this time, I had no idea that I wouldn't find my family. The first thing I said upon understanding I was with Robin was 'father'."

Lucina's gaze darted over the floor as she searched for words. "I'm sorry, Morgan. I understand how difficult it is to feel as though you've lost family. However, you need to know that we're all here for you, as a family distinct from but stronger than that you once knew."

"I kept thinking that I could get my family back," Morgan continued. "I was afraid to open this door today, because I was afraid of who I would see on the other side - that it wouldn't be my father. Now I know that I don't have to open it to know who's there."

"And that is?" Lucina asked with a tilt of her head.

Morgan turned away from the study to face Lucina. Her expression bore no trace of love. "Robin, of course," she answered.

"Would you like to speak with him?" Lucina prompted.

"I will. Right now, though, I don't have to," Morgan answered with a shake of her head.

"I don't wish to overstep," said Lucina, "but I believe that you should reconcile with the others. They need to know that you do not hate them, as you claimed in your delirium."

Morgan tilted her head as she stared at Lucina. "I'm faced with an impossible task. As such, I'm fine with changing my victory conditions."

Lucina's brow furrowed as her expression was overtaken by concern. "Morgan? What are you saying?"

"Of course you wouldn't understand," Morgan scoffed. "All of your life, you've been too dense to understand anything. I don't need my memories to know that much."

All relief abandoned Lucina as she became the embodiment of serious authority. "You have not yet gone too far, Morgan. You haven't hurt anyone. You can stop yourself at any time."

Morgan approached Lucina, cupped the princess' hands in her own, and leaned close to her face. "That means I haven't gone far enough," she said, her gaze authentic and her voice sincere. "I hate you, Lucina."

She did not see Lucina's reaction, for she shut her eyes tight and held her senses at bay. Even then, she could feel the slight tinge of heat form Lucina's hands in her own, and that warmth was the sole stimulus that forced her to keep her eyes closed longer than she had intended.

* * *

Morgan opened her eyes. She was in a bright room of grand design. Before her stood twin thrones, one seating Chrom, and the other, Olivia. Frederick was at standby a short distance behind her. The reaches of her mind no longer wavered in despicable uncertainty.

"Are you all right?" asked Chrom in partial concern.

Morgan blinked and reclaimed the last of her wandering senses. "Yeah, I'm fine. I had to think over some stuff. I'm okay now."

She could now recall waking up in the posh bed she had been granted. Her thoughts about her conversations remained in a haze, but it was a haze which she did not need to clear. She had reached the conclusion she required.

"As I was saying," spoke Olivia, "we've prepared some depositions from Shepherds in the time you were asleep. Not everyone could he contacted in such a short window, but all who were have voiced their support of Robin and Lucina in their own ways."

Frederick stepped up to Morgan, his arms filled with stacks of papers. He set them on the floor of the throne room with a huff and passed the first set of pages to Morgan.

"'Dearest Morgan, as we walk in Naga's light…' ugh, gods, I'm already bored," Morgan began to read through the first page. "Blah blah, 'love and comradery', blah," she flipped through to the final section, "'with the love of the divine dragon, Libra.' Okay. Whatever," she dropped the pages to the ground.

"You would do well to read through each Shepherd's words of sincerity," Frederick advised with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll get the gist of them well enough," Morgan shrugged and grabbed the second set of writing.

She picked up well over twenty pages that had been pressed together in one corner. Morgan balked at the sheer amount of paper and flicked through the massive paragraphs within.

"Is this a thesis?" Morgan questioned as her expression turned to muted respect hidden in disgust. "There's quoted testimonial evidence here, with citations, and… Cordelia?" her expression fell flat as she lowered the essay and turned to Frederick.

"Indeed," the great knight confirmed with a nod.

Morgan sighed and dropped the essay atop Libra's letter. She crossed her arms in front of her and turned to the two royals present.

"I understand that everyone supports their relationship. This isn't going to serve any greater purpose," Morgan told them.

"You should still read them," Olivia frowned. "I don't believe that you've understood their conviction. We don't hate you, Morgan, but we'll all stand alongside Robin and Lucina over you."

Frederick passed Morgan a sealed letter, which she sighed and accepted. It bore nothing on its exterior but the name of Gerome. Morgan tore it open without care for its delicate wax seal.

"'Cute,'" Morgan read aloud. She blinked and turned the paper over, finding it blank apart form the single word. "Is that it?"

"Gerome is a man of few words, but even he has expressed his support," Frederick smiled.

"How lovely," Morgan rolled her eyes and tossed the letter to the ground. "Where's Cynthia's?"

"Alas, she could not he reached in time," Chrom informed Morgan. "She has taken to adventuring. Oftentimes, she is days away from the capital, as she is now."

Olivia raised an eyebrow at Morgan. "Why the specific interest in her?"

"She's the daughter of Sumia, the woman who was to be queen in the unchanged timeline," Morgan explained. "I'd heard that she took to these changes worse than most others."

"I've noticed no such thing," remarked Olivia. "She always smiles bright when I glance her way, and her personality has been nothing but warm since the day she joined the Shepherds. I assure you, she is as supportive of Lucina and Robin as the rest of us."

"Mhm," Morgan hummed as she held her gaze on the current queen. She found no reason to doubt the conviction behind her words, but something unplaceable struck her as strange.

"Please, continue," Frederick smiled and passed along another set of papers.

Morgan glanced over the first page in her hands and groaned. The mere mention of surreptitious infatuation, interminable adulation, and other painful verbiage was enough to exacerbate a steady ache building behind Morgan's eyes. She raised a hand to the bridge of her nose as she let the papers fall from her grip.

"Who's was this?" she asked through a groan. "Laurent? Miriel?"

"As a matter of fact, it's a joint paper from both," Frederick announced with his aggravating grin.

Morgan sighed and plucked another set of papers form the stack. "Look, none of this is going to reinforce your point. It's already as strong as it'll ever get. I understand that I can't tear Robin and Lucina apart, and I'm not foolish enough to try-"

She blinked as she analysed the next papers. Her brow then furrowed, "this one's just a drawing of a dick and… is that a donut?" she held it up for Frederick to scrutinise.

"Ah, that would be Vaike's," Frederick informed her without bothering to look. "I believe if you flip through the pages fast enough, it forms a continuous image. It's quite entertaining."

Morgan's brow knit closer as she followed Frederick's instructions. Her expression then gave way to disgust as she ignited the papers in her hands and tossed them away from the others.

"Okay, yeah, done with that," Morgan huffed and returned her attention to the royals. "As I was saying, I have no means and no longer a desire to separate Robin and Lucina. Their connection will be able to resist anything I can throw at it. I understand that now."

"After a half day of resting and a few minutes of standing in a room with your eyes closed? That's all it took?" Chrom questioned, his skepticism written clear across his face.

"Do you not believe me?" Morgan frowned.

Chrom shook his head. "I've been at Robin's side for years. If I told you I understood everything that passed through his mind, anyone in the halidom could tell you that I was lying. I fear you share his same wit."

Morgan shrugged. "That's fair. I'd be in the same position, I suppose."

"May I ask what you intend to do next?" inquired Olivia. "Prior to today, your sole focus was upon your dream of family. Will you be joining us in the Shepherds?"

Morgan mulled over the question in silence for a long moment. She had a rough plan, but nothing beyond a few days. There was too much to do too soon for her to plan further.

"I'll have a chat with Robin, and with Lucina," Morgan shrugged in response. "I've put off a proper conversation with them for far too long. After that, I have one or two things to wrap up, and then… I don't know."

A soft smile graced Olivia's features. Morgan hated the beauty in her expression. "In that case, why don't you stay here? We'd be happy to have you! I get that I've been a little cold - we all have - but, we should be getting along, right? What do you like? We could go shopping, or you could come along for a walk through Ylisstol, or…" she trailed off.

Morgan held silent until she saw Olivia's features flash in incertitude. She then shook her head, "no."

Chrom raised an eyebrow and shared a glance with his partner. "Er, no?"

"No," Morgan continued to shake her head. "I'm not gonna do any of that. I'm going to speak with Robin and Lucina, then I'm done. There'll be nothing left for me here."

"You plan to leave Ylisstol?" Chrom concluded, surprised at the reveal as with his own deduction.

"I don't know," Morgan shrugged. "All I know is that I won't be here, with any of you."

Olivia's brow creased in concern. "Are you certain? If that's what you wish, we'll accept it, but…"

"Yeah, I'm certain," Morgan confirmed with a bright smile. "I've had to come to terms with the loss of one family within the past day. Adding another to the mix won't be much work."

Olivia's brow remained creased. "We'll always be here for you, Morgan. You have little reason to believe me, but please, know that to be true."

Morgan continued to smile as she bowed out of the throne room. "I know. You're a family, even though you aren't mine."

She backed out of the throne room and allowed Frederick to close the doors behind her. Morgan then held her gaze on the entrance to the grand room, her expression unwavering as her mind raced. She was fast approaching a point from which she could not return. That thought was exhilarating.

Morgan turned and made her way to Robin's grandmaster study. Her excitement was held in the spring of her step. There was much to do, and so much unravelling to yet witness.

* * *

Frederick closed the doors to the throne room behind Morgan and let loose a deep breath. He held silent to verify that the tactician would not return before shifting his attention back to the two royals in the room.

"What in Naga's name happened?" Olivia questioned both Chrom and Frederick.

"I fear it may be something only she yet understands - and that's a terrifying notion," Chrom sighed into his throne.

Frederick straightened his posture, his subconscious mind preparing him for deployment. "Do you suppose the safety of anyone nearby has been put in jeopardy? Morgan included?"

Olivia shook her head and waved the notion away. That hand then found its way to her chin as she considered all she had heard. "No, I don't believe Morgan would do anything like that, nor would anyone do something to her. At least, no one will be subject to physical harm."

"Emotional wounds, then?" Frederick proposed. "Perhaps psychological? Morgan does have a certain conniving air about her…"

Chrom ran a hand over his face and groaned. "Okay, let's think like her for a moment. She wants to speak with Robin and Lucina, then depart, correct? What could she do in talking to those two?"

"Lucina is intelligent, but I fear Morgan may have her outmatched," remarked Olivia. "As for Robin, I have no idea how to compare the two. So long as Robin and Lucina are together, though, I suspect they'll overcome whatever Morgan may throw at them."

"Yes, but having that reassurance will not stop Morgan," said Frederick. "Our goal was to prevent her alienation, to accept her amongst our own as we did with the others. If she's attempting to inflict a wound that will not separate Robin and Lucina, but will also never heal…"

"Then we'll have failed," Olivia finished for him. "She'll have forced her own alienation. We won't be able to support her, as we sought for all those who our future selves had failed."

"We should've included Robin in this scheming," Chrom brought his hand up to massage his temples. "If he knew, if he had helped us plan, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"And he would be too guilty over his corroboration to be with the woman he loves," Olivia chastised her husband. "You know Robin better than anyone. He would feel as though he was manipulating Lucina, and their relationship would be over."

"Do you suppose Morgan was able to tell we forged these?" Frederick asked as his gaze fell to the scattered and stacked papers in question. He stamped out with the heel of his boot the phallic drawings Morgan had set aflame.

Olivia sighed before throwing up her hands. "I have no idea anymore. I thought not, but then she comes here, closes her eyes for a few minutes, and her entire disposition changes. Did she deduce her way into some grand revelation?"

"We should have relied on the actual Shepherd testimonies we'd prepared for things like this. Not forgeries," Chrom lamented. He then let loose a guttural groan as he leaned forward and brought his head into his hands. "Gods, why is this all so complicated!?"

"You heard Cordelia's report as well as Olivia and I," Frederick admonished his liege. "The testimonies were prepared to address the discomfort of those we knew to exist. Morgan is an outlier. Her grievances, though known, were not within the realm of what we had prepared."

"Because we thought we were past all of that, I know," Chrom frowned into his hands. "We should have listened to Cordelia - we should have made contingencies. Robin would have. Hell, based on what little we know of Morgan, she would have as well."

"At least we were wise enough to bring Cordelia into the fold," Frederick remarked. "Though her tabulations on the Shepherds border on egregious, they are of great aid. She has done well to direct Morgan away from harm thus far."

"All Morgan has to do is speak to one of the other time travellers, though, and we're done for," Olivia sighed. "We took such care to prepare accurate statements, and ones that mirrored the true testimonies of the Shepherds, and she reads, what, five of them? Ugh, such a waste…"

"We're to dispose of these, then?" Frederick nudged the stack of papers with his foot.

Chrom glanced to Olivia, who shrugged. "Yes," he confirmed for his attendant. "The less evidence of the forgeries, the better."

"We shouldn't have gone this far," Olivia sighed her chin into her hand as Frederick collected the papers. "Telling Morgan I wasn't her mother should have been enough to keep her from acting against Robin and Lucina. We had to walk a fine line between pushing her away from hurting those two and welcoming her, and we stepped way too far. We shouldn't have shown her these - especially not the one you two made for Vaike."

"On the contrary, I would have shown her that masterpiece regardless," smiled Frederick. "It was hilarious."

"It was rather funny," Chrom acknowledged with a tilt of his head.

"I mean, yes, but…" Olivia struggled with her words through the smallest of smiles, "but, it was still cruel!"

Frederick's smile remained in full on his face. "That's why it was humorous, no?"

"Oh gods, I see why she hates us," Olivia buried her head in her hands.

"Easy, my love," Chrom smiled, though Olivia could not see the expression through her hands. "Morgan won't be able to tear anyone apart. She said so herself. What's the worst that could happen?"

Olivia separated her fingers to glare through them at Chrom. Her eyes smoldered against Chrom's, causing the Exalt to waver and offer a nervous laugh.

"I'm not one to put much stock in jinxing," said Olivia, her voice a low rumble. "That said, if something does happen, I swear to Naga that I'm going to slap you."

Chrom laughed through his uncertain nerves once again. Olivia sealed her gaze behind her hands as she murmured to herself about Morgan. She knew not how much her mind was exaggerating the skill of the young tactician, but she nevertheless feared the worst.

* * *

 **You ever use the wrong** **formulas** **but end up with the right answer? That's pretty much Morgan right now.**

 **I didn't want to make Chrom, Olivia, Frederick, or Cordelia to seem excessively cruel in this story, but rather that they were all willing to go way too far to protect people who didn't need protection. Those four view Robin and Lucina's relationship as fragile, as Morgan concluded, and acted off that conclusion. I'll go more in depth on this part in the notes of the final chapters, so for now know that this idea of perceptions distorting relationships and the lenses under which others, like Morgan, Inigo, Robin, Olivia, etc. are viewed / view one another is the main focus of the story.**

 **Long story short, relationships are what you make of them. Communicate. Don't try to manipulate other peoples' relationships. Don't try to break apart other people for your own reasons, especially not if you're angry, confused, have amnesia,** **travelled** **through time, and haven't slept for two days.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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